Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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413. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will ensure that where his Department enters an agreement to purchase bog holdings the owner thereof will be paid immediately in respect of the purchase and that it is not delayed for two years or more; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19547/14]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Under the voluntary bog purchase scheme administered by my Department individuals with a legal interest in raised bog special areas of conservation or natural heritage areas could apply to sell their interest in these sites at set rates. In May 2010, the then Minister announced the closure of the voluntary bog purchase scheme to new applicants.

The purchase of land or a turbary right under the scheme cannot proceed until the Chief State Solicitor’s Office is satisfied that all is in order for the sale to close and until contracts for sale have been executed by the vendor and I, as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. There is often a significant amount of work to be undertaken and legal matters to be investigated prior to the execution of contracts for sale.