Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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272. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the names of bogs to which her Department has successfully relocated applicants from (details supplied); the number of plots available for relocating applicants in each of these relocation bogs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9608/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Some 99 applications under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme for raised bog special areas of conservation have been received and acknowledged by my Department in respect of the bog referred to in the Deputy’s Question. Of these, 33 applicants have expressed an interest in relocation to a non-designated bog.

To date, none of these applicants have been relocated to a non-designated bog. However, a number of bogs have been assessed as suitable relocation sites for turf cutters from this raised bog special area of conservation:

(a) One in County Galway which could accommodate in the region of 7 turf cutters;

(b) One in County Tipperary which could accommodate up to 30 turf cutters; and

(c) Bog plots in a site in County Galway, where the number of turf cutters who could be accommodated at is dependent on how much land is available to purchase in relation to relocation to this site.

My Department had sought expressions of interest from qualifying applicants under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme with a view to relocation to (a) and (c) above. My Department is in discussions at present with a number of turf cutters who have expressed an interest in relocating to (a).