Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House this morning. I am pleased to have the opportunity to highlight what is an extremely important issue for many rural communities. No one has ever denied that the turf cutting ban has been very difficult for all concerned. Despite this, I and many other stakeholders were determined, at the beginning of the term of the last Government, to work long and hard to address in a meaningful way the challenges posed by the EU Habitats Directive for turf cutting communities, especially in the special areas of conservation, SACs.

I was one of the first politicians to travel to Brussels to meet the relevant EU Commissioner in order to highlight the impact of the turf cutting ban on those affected. I went there with Mr. Conor Skehan, Deputies Paul Connaughton and Martin Heydon and Councillor Jimmy McClearn from Galway to meet the Commissioner, Mr. Janez Potoènik. We told him that a new Government had just been formed and that the situation regarding the Habitats Directive was very serious. Mr. Skehan pointed out that there had been a ten-year derogation and that all we wanted was another six months. We were absolutely shocked when Mr. Potoènik and his officials said, "What derogation?". The Fianna Fáil Government had decided that this issue was so explosive that they would tell the people that there was a derogation and they could continue to cut turf. At the same time, solicitors' letters were coming from Europe. We were absolutely shocked. Indeed, Deputy Ó Cuív admitted in the Dáil a few months later that Fianna Fáil thought there was a derogation but then found out that there was not. It was a shameful way to deal with one of the most important issues in rural Ireland at the time.

I am glad that the Government of which I was a member dealt with the issue. As part of my campaign on behalf of rural communities, I called for an independent commission and was very glad that this call was heard and a mediation process, in the form of the Peatlands Council, was established. I believe the council and the setting up of the peatlands forum allowed the genuine views and concerns of the turf cutting communities to be taken on board in a formal manner. All of this ultimately led to the setting up of a compensation and relocation scheme for turf cutters affected by the Habitats Directive. One of my primary objectives throughout the whole process was to make sure that those affected would be financially recompensed and thankfully that happened.

In my own region, I fought for and helped to deliver compensation for more than 1,000 turf cutting families. That equates to a sum of €23,000, tax free, to each turf cutter over a 15 year period. That is a huge amount of money for people in Roscommon, east Galway and other areas. There are other counties that do not have SACs and they wish they were part of this compensation scheme. I understand that this issue has been considered for more than four years. It is also important to remember that the concerns of turf cutters wishing to relocate to other bogs were duly recognised by the Department. These turf cutters received a one-off payment of €500 and are also entitled to receive 15 tonnes of turf each year until the relocation bog is ready.

Today I would like to take the opportunity to ask the Minister for an up to date appraisal of the turf cutters' compensation scheme and the related bog relocation scheme. The latter is more complex, as everyone will acknowledge. These schemes have recognised the genuine concerns of the affected communities who have been carrying on the turf cutting tradition for generations. To conclude, I would like to pay tribute to all the stakeholders, particularly the turf cutting community which understood that the last Government was forced to deal with a very difficult legacy issue but came up with practical solutions for those affected.

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Feighan for putting down this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys. I commend Senator Feighan for his work in regard to the turf cutting compensation scheme and the relocation scheme in recent years. I want to acknowledge the work of the last Government in sorting out a mess that was left behind. There was a debate in the Dáil last night where similar sentiments were heard from the Opposition that the last Government had tackled something that had been left unresolved for a number of years.

Since 2011 huge efforts have been made to solve the issue of the protection of Ireland’s raised bog special areas of conservation within the framework of the EU habitats directive. This has included intense and ongoing engagement with turf cutting interests, farmers, non-governmental organisations and the European Commission. In addition, a long-term compensation scheme has been introduced to compensate cutters for their loss arising from the cessation. This cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme comprises a payment of €1,500 per annum, index-linked for 15 years, or relocation to a non-designated bog, where feasible, together with a once-off incentive payment of €500. Over 3,200 applications have been received and the total expenditure under the scheme amounts to in the region of €19 million. Some 11,086 annual payments, 1,649 once-off incentive payments of €500 and 896 deliveries of turf have been made in respect of these applications.

The Review of Raised Bog Natural Heritage Area Network, published in January 2014, concluded that Ireland could more effectively achieve conservation of threatened raised bog habitat through focused protection and restoration of a reconfigured network. The Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016 has been presented to Dáil Éireann and published. Its purpose is to provide for the implementation of a reconfiguration of the natural heritage area network arising from the 2014 review. The cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme has been extended to land owners and turbary rights holders affected by the proposals arising from the natural heritage area review. Some 246 applications have been received under the scheme and 342 annual payments have been made at a cost of just over €525,000 to applicants from these sites. Thirteen once-off incentive payments have also been made in respect of these sites.

Details in regard to the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme for each raised bog site are available on the website of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department. The county or counties in which each bog is located are also shown. I am making available to the House a table illustrating the amount of compensation paid under the scheme on a county by county basis. Some 633 applicants to the cessation of turf cuffing compensation scheme have expressed an interest in relocation to a non-designated bog. My Department has written to over 400 turf cutters seeking expressions of interest in relocation to specific non-designated sites.

The relocation of turf cutters is a complex process. Notwithstanding the complexity involved, 62 turf cutters have been accommodated on non-designated bogs in counties Offaly and Galway. For a number of special areas of conservation, the relocation site identified may not be suitable or may not have the capacity to cater for the number of turf cutters who may wish to relocate there. In such cases, my Department, in consultation with turf culling interests, is considering the available options in terms of relocation and the provisions of Article 6 of the habitats directive. The national raised bog SAC management plan will set 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 measures to address these needs include financial compensation, relocation to non-designated bogs and considering the possible utilisation of the provisions of Article 6 of the habitats directive.

There has been a significant reduction in turf cutting activity on the 53 raised bog special areas of conservation since the cessation of turf cutting has come into effect on these sites. Final resolution of all issues in regard to the protection of Ireland’s protected raised bogs will only be brought about by everyone working together, within the law, with my Department and with the Peatlands Council, which was established for the purpose of ensuring input from all stakeholders.

I have provided a table for Senator Feighan highlighting the amounts paid to different counties. There is some overlap, given some bogs overlap county boundaries, and the table reflects this. He will see there are payments of €22,815 for Roscommon; €695,000 for Galway-Roscommon; €17,000 for Longford-Roscommon; €220,000 for Galway-Roscommon-Sligo; and €2,536,000 for Roscommon-Longford-Westmeath; and a sum total of €19,881,602.35.

Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister. The sums involved are staggering and I would like to thank the Government for making these sums available. Nearly €5 million has been paid in four years in County Roscommon and there are another 11 years to go. I am sick and tired of people out there asking, "What about the turf cutters?". I am very happy that we delivered for them. There are politicians who said from the very beginning that nobody would apply but, five years ago, we told them that 1,000 people had applied. Those politicians then said there would be no money but we said the money was ring-fenced. This is absolute proof that the Government has dealt as best as it could with a very difficult situation. It should be highlighted that this money is going to 1,000 families in counties Roscommon and Galway every year and there are another 11 years to go. Most of those families, thankfully, have a second NHA bog where they can continue to cut turf. This is something that needs to be highlighted. It is good news. Once again, the Government has put its money where its mouth is.

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I want to concur with Senator Feighan and I commend him for the work he has done over the last five years in achieving this settlement on behalf of turf cutters in the Roscommon-Galway area and across the country. I also commend my former colleague, Mr. Paul Connaughton, who put a lot of work into this and travelled to Brussels to meet the Commissioner. The details are that the sum is possibly more than people would have anticipated. A sum of €19,881,000 is a significant amount going into rural communities in lieu of the cessation. It demonstrates the commitment of Government to those affected by the cessation of turf cutting on raised bog conservation areas.

The majority of those who were active on these sites are remaining in the scheme. Engagement with turf cutting interests continues with a view to resolving the issues relating to the raised bog special areas of conservation. As I said, the national raised bog conservation management plan was developed arising from a motion in Dáil Éireann in March 2012 which was supported by the Dáil. This is in line with A Programme for a Partnership Government, which outlines that the Government recognises that domestic turf cutters have a traditional right to cut turf, a right which is balanced with the conservation objectives and legal obligations of the State.

I would again state that, having inherited an economic and financial mess in 2011, we also inherited a mess in regard to bogs and what had not been done. We grasped that nettle under difficult circumstances and we achieved a result. There is more of a way to go and, as I said, a Bill is at present being debated in the Dáil and it will be brought before the Seanad in time to bring closure to the issues in regard to turf cutting. I again commend Senator Feighan for his work on this issue in recent years.