Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 487: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will provide details as to the precise compensation measure in place for landowners where their lands are affected under habitats directive or the birds directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38589/10]

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 488: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will provide details as to all amounts paid in compensation to landowners or affected persons under the habitats directive or the birds directive since designation commenced [38590/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 487 and 488 together.

Payments to landowners arising from the designation of land under the Habitats and Birds Directives have generally been made by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under the provisions of successive Rural Development Programmes and in particular through the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme and the Agri-Environmental Options Scheme.

As an alternative to these schemes, for farmers in designated conservation areas, my Department operates the National Parks and Wildlife Service Farm Plan Scheme, which is designed to support particular farm practices in designated sites. To date, almost €8m has been paid to farmers under this scheme or to support individuals farming in areas requiring specific agri-environmental measures such as the Burren and uplands damaged by over-grazing in Mayo and Galway.

Where the Minister refuses consent to carry out an activity which is a Notifiable Activity under the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997, compensation may be payable under regulation 20. To date, €1.5m has been paid and this has been exclusively to compensate commercial turf-cutters who were compelled to discontinue their activities on sites designated under the Birds or Habitats Directives.

€17.5m has been paid to date under my Department's voluntary bog purchase scheme for the acquisition of freehold and turbary rights within designated raised bogs. This sum principally relates to acquisition costs but a small proportion relates to compensation for vendors agreeing to cease turf extraction earlier than permitted under the ten year derogation period.

My Department has also made payments of over €105,000 in 2010 to turbary right owners who have been compelled to discontinue turf-cutting to provide for their domestic fuel needs on certain raised bog Special Areas of Conservation. These payments were made under an interim compensation scheme that I announced earlier this year.