Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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422. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when payment of bog compensation will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40852/13]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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An application for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme has been received by my Department from the individual referred to in the Deputy's Question. I am advised that a payment of €1,500 in respect of Year 1 of 15 (2011) and a payment of €1,500 in respect of Year 2 of 15 (2012) have been made to this applicant.

The qualifying criteria for the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme are that:

- The claimant must have a legal interest in one of the 53 raised bog special areas of conservation - ownership or turbary right;

- The claimant must have been the owner or entitled to exercise turbary rights on the land in question on 25 May 2010;

- The turbary on the site must not be exhausted;

- The claimant must have been cutting turf on the land in question during the relevant five year period; and

- No turf cutting or associated activity is ongoing on the property.

On a number of occasions, the applicant has been requested to forward information illustrating her legal interest in the site on which she claims to have been cutting turf, together with a map of the plot. This information and map has not yet been received by my Department. Once this is supplied, my Department will be in a position to process her application further with a view to the provision of compensation in respect of this year.