Written answers

Thursday, 18 June 2015

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme Payments

Photo of Michael FitzmauriceMichael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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270. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide, in tabular form, a list of all the commercial operators who have been provided with monetary compensation and-or an alternative relocation bog out of public funds, as a result of the cessation of commercial operations on bogland sites designated under European and Irish legislation; if he will include, in each individual case, the site code of the designated site; the year the site was designated; the designation type; the year commercial operations ceased; the year payment was made; the amount of bog being surrendered on the site; the total figure for monetary compensation paid; the figure for compensation paid per acre; the area of alternative relocation bog provided; the total cost to the State of each individual agreement, plus the overall cost to the State for the cessation of all commercial operations on designated bogs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24292/15]

Photo of Michael FitzmauriceMichael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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271. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will state for the record of Dáil Éireann that all persons, individual or corporate, who were cutting turf or extracting peat commercially on those bogs that are designated as sites of community importance, have received full compensation and-or relocation to another bog in respect of the losses imposed upon them and their enterprises by the designation of the bogs on which they were operating as being of special community importance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24313/15]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 271 together.

In February 1999, compensation arrangements for industrial and commercial operators affected by the cessation of turf cutting on raised bogs, which were proposed as special areas of conservation, were announced. These compensation arrangements become applicable to additional sites over time.

Since then, applications for compensation from affected industrial and commercial operators have been made to and assessed by my Department. Compensation has been paid by my Department on the basis of proven actual losses incurred as a result of the cessation of industrial and commercial turf extraction on protected sites.

There is no standard per acre rate of payment of compensation in respect of these applications. Compensation is paid on the basis of the assessment in each individual case.

My Department holds no records of any industrial and commercial operators being compensated by relocation to a non-designated bog.

The table below sets out the details of payments made, including legal fees, on foot of applications for compensation from industrial and commercial operators affected by the cessation of turf cutting on protected sites. The total amount paid in compensation amounts to €7,613,807.

Officials from my Department will need to examine each individual file with a view to ascertaining the year each applicant ceased operations. The information derived from this exercise will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

-Candidate SAC or NHASITE CODESITE NAMEYear site nominated for designation as an SAC or NHAYear in which compensation was paidArea of land covered by the application for compensation (Ha) Amount of compensation paid
Case 1Raised Bog cSAC000248Cloonmoylan Bog cSAC1997201116.9334€157,532
Case 2Blanket Bog cSAC002006Ox Mountains Bog cSAC1997200432.37€143,787
Case 3Raised Bog cSAC001818Lough Forbes Complex cSAC1997200618.6122€442,466
Case 4Raised Bog cSAC000641Ballyduff/Clonfinane Bog cSAC1997200315.7327€447,666
Case 5Raised Bog NHA001448Forthill Bog NHA200220047.4364€188,289
Case 6Raised Bog NHA000677Cloncrow Bog (New Forest) NHA2002200437.2324€443,462
Case 7Raised Bog NHA000640Arragh More Bog NHA2002201135.6136€720,327
Case 8Raised Bog cSAC NHA002331 &

001725
Mouds Bog cSAC & Nure Bog NHA20022012142€2,687,236
Case 9Raised Bog NHA000937Scohaboy Bog NHA200220095.57€418,705
Case 10Raised Bog NHA000937Scohaboy Bog NHA2002201346.3€855,000
Case 11Raised Bog cSAC002331Mouds Bog cSAC2002201016.3€605,270
Case 12Raised Bog cSAC002331Mouds Bog cSAC2002200710.2134€140,234
Case 13Raised Bog cSAC000391Ballynafagh Bog cSAC199720081.8490€26,200
Case 14Raised Bog NHA000642Ballymacegan Bog NHA2002201022.337€337,633
€7,613,807

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