The total amount of money spent by my Department to date in compensation payments under the turf cutting compensation scheme is approximately €1.3 million. The overall cost of the administration required to deliver the scheme is being met from within the staff resources allocated to my Department and is provided for within the administration expenditure of my Department's Vote. Additional costs arising to date in respect of overtime associated with the delivery of the compensation payments is €16,070. There are no readily identifiable additional staffing costs associated with monitoring and enforcement of the cessation of turf cutting on raised bog special areas of conservation. This work is carried out by the existing staff of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department as part of their normal duties. With regard to aerial surveillance of turf cutting on raised bog special areas of conservation, my Department has made payments amounting to €24,140 to a private contractor so far this year and invoices for a further €2,157 are being processed for payment. The provision by the Air Corps of its services for monitoring purposes does not entail a cost to my Department.
