Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his good wishes and also for having raised this matter.

Some 3,017 applications for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, applicable to raised bog special areas of conservation, have been received and acknowledged by my Department.

Of these, 814 applicants have expressed an interest in relocation to non-designated bogs.

Some 6,116 payments and 610 deliveries of turf have been made in respect of these applications. In addition, 1,373 legal agreements have been returned to my Department and 1,197 once-off incentive payments of €500 have been made in respect of these legal agreements. Total expenditure to date amounts to over €10.9 million since the Government introduced the compensation arrangements for affected turf cutters.

Since the cessation of turf cutting, the compensation scheme has been extended this year to raised bog natural heritage areas. Up to 147 applications for compensation in respect of these sites have been received and acknowledged by my Department. Of these, four applicants have expressed an interest in relocation to non-designated bogs and 68 payments have been made in respect of the applications received. Progress in relocating turf cutters to non-designated bogs is being achieved in several cases.

Arrangements have been made as regards Clara bog in County Offaly, where 25 qualifying turf cutters have been accommodated on Killeranny bog, and Carrownagappul bog and Curraghlehanagh bog in County Galway, where 23 qualifying turf cutters have been accommodated on the Islands bog and Killasolan bog. Potential relocation sites have been identified for each of the remaining raised bog special areas of conservation where relocation may be required. However, relocation is a complex process with many issues to be resolved for each individual site.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

The draft national raised bog SAC management plan, published in January, sets out how the raised bog special areas of conservation are to be managed into the future and how the needs of turf cutters are to be addressed. The draft plan sets out the demanding tests which must be met before turf cutting could be consented to within the provisions of the habitats directive. The final plan will clarify whether the relevant provisions of the directive could be applicable for any particular special area of conservation and will seek to establish whether sufficient consensus can be achieved at a national level to make a successful case to the European Commission for flexibility on this basis.

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