Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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269. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide an update on an application for payment under the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme, in respect of person (details supplied) in County Roscommon; the action her Department has taken to identify the correct turf bank or payment for this person. [6579/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, 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), €1,500 in respect of Year 2 of 15 (2012) and €1,518 in respect of Year 3 of 15 (2013) have been made to this applicant. In addition, a once-off payment of €500 has been made to the applicant in respect of the signing of a legal agreement under this scheme.

It has come to the attention of my Department that the turf plot on which the applicant now claims to have been extracting turf is different to the one which she had indicated that she had been extracting turf from on her application form. My Department has been assessing the details in relation to this plot to ascertain if the qualifying criteria of the scheme have been met in this instance.

A letter has recently been sent to the applicant seeking additional information including evidence of a legal interest in this plot. Once this information is received my Department will complete its assessment of the application and will be in further contact with the applicant.