Written answers

Wednesday, 11 March 2015

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Turbary Rights

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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36. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to address the ongoing issues regarding the implementation of the ban on turf cutting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10186/15]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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It is important to point out that there is no blanket ban on cutting turf in Ireland. The need to curtail turf cutting has arisen in the context of the requirement to conserve legally protected sites. As set out in the draft National Peatlands Strategy, the Government has no intention of ending the traditional practice of cutting turf for a person’s own domestic use but is committed to ensuring that the law is upheld in relation to nature protection.

Since this Government has come into office, huge efforts have been made to solve the issue of the protection of Ireland's raised bog special areas of conservation within the framework of the EU Habitats Directive. This has included intense engagement with turf cutting interests, farmers, non-governmental organisations and with the European Commission. A cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme was introduced, comprising a payment of €1,500 per annum, index-linked, for 15 years, or relocation, where feasible, to a non-designated bog together, with a once-off incentive payment of €500.

The draft National Raised Bog SAC Management Plan was published in January 2014. It sets out how the raised bog special areas of conservation are to be managed into the future and how the needs of turf cutters are to be addressed. The draft plan sets out the demanding tests which must be met before turf cutting could be consented to within the provisions of the EU Habitats Directive. The final plan will clarify whether the relevant provisions of the Directive could be applicable for any particular special area of conservation and will seek to establish whether sufficient consensus can be achieved at a national level to make a successful case to the European Commission for flexibility in accordance with Article 6(4) of the Directive.

Final resolution of all issues in relation to the protection of Ireland's raised bog special areas of conservation will only be brought about by everyone working together, within the law, with my Department and with the Peatlands Council, which was established with the purpose of ensuring the input from all stakeholders.

The Review of Raised Bog Natural Heritage Area Network, published in January 2014, provides detail on future arrangements regarding turf cutting on each of the 75 current raised bog natural heritage areas. The Review has concluded that Ireland could more effectively achieve conservation of threatened raised bog habitat through focused protection and restoration of a reconfigured network. This will entail the phasing out of turf-cutting on certain natural heritage areas by 1 January 2017 and the partial or complete de-designation of certain natural heritage areas.

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