Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will estimate for 2012 the number of turf cutters that qualified for the compensation scheme for those affected by the cessation of turf cutting on raised bog special areas of conservation; the number who did not accept the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55997/12]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount spent in 2012 on payments under the compensation scheme for those affected by the cessation of turf cutting on raised bog special areas of conservation; if he will provide a breakdown of the total sums paid by county and for each county list the average, highest and lowest payment of total payments and if payments were for 2011 and 2012 or just for 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55998/12]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of turf cutters in 2012 that qualified for the additional once off payment of €500 under the compensation scheme for those affected by the cessation of turf cutting on raised bog special areas of conservation; the total awarded to date in 2012; if he will provide a breakdown of the number awarded and total amount by county; the amount budgeted in total for this once off payment and the number of turf cutters refused the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55999/12]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 132, 133 and 134 together.

Details are set out in the following table, on a bog by bog basis, of the number of applications under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme received by my Department, the number of applicants opting for financial compensation, the number of applicants expressing an interest in relocation to non-designated bogs, and the number of payments made. Out of the 2,544 applications received in my Department under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, 1,784 applicants have opted for financial compensation and 760 applicants have expressed an interest in relocation.

To date, a total of 2,105 payments and 180 turf deliveries have been made to applicants at a total cost of €3,409,000. A cost of €51,000 was incurred in 2011 with the remaining cost of €3,358,000 being incurred in 2012.

The scheme is comprised of a payment of €1,500 per year, index linked, for 15 years or, where feasible, relocation of turf cutters to non-designated bogs where they can continue to cut turf.

Payments and turf deliveries have been made on the basis that applicants have indicated in their application forms that they fulfil all the qualifying criteria of the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme. My Department has been checking, and will be continuing to check, that all of the qualifying criteria of the scheme have been met in each case.

I am advised that at this stage one applicant has been informed that he does not fulfil the qualifying criteria. He has requested a Departmental review of the decision. Arrangements are also being considered by the Peatlands Council to put in place an appeals system where applicants wish to appeal the outcome of a review by the Department. While it may be anticipated that there will be further instances where applicants do not qualify, priority has been given to processing payments to those who clearly appear to meet the qualifying criteria on the basis of the information provided in their application forms.

3 applicants have been rejected because the areas on which they have been cutting turf are not within a raised bog special area of conservation.

An additional once-off payment of €500 for qualifying turf cutters will be provided where legal agreements are signed with me, as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. To date, no such payments have been made as my Department has been giving priority to processing the €1,500 per annum payments and requests for the delivery of turf. Based on the number of applicants who have received compensation under the scheme to date, it is estimated that the total cost of the once-off payment will be of the order of €900,000.

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