Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 January 2014
423. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the sale of a bog (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55516/13]
View answerAn 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. The qualifying criteria for the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme are that:
- the claimant must have a legal interest in one of the 53 raised bog special areas of conservation
– ownership or turbary right;
- the claimant must have been the owner or entitled to exercise turbary rights on the land in question on 25 May 2010;
- the turbary on the site must not be exhausted;
- the claimant must have been cutting turf on the land in question during the relevant five year period; and
- no turf cutting or associated activity is ongoing on the property.
Following an inspection by officials of my Department of the plot of bog in respect of which the applicant has applied for compensation, it appears that no turf has been cut on this site for many years.
The applicant claims to have ceased cutting turf on this plot when he joined the rural environmental protection scheme administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I am advised that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has indicated to my Department that a turf plot must have been inactive for 5 years before an applicant could have included the plot within the land which he/she declared for the rural environmental protection scheme
My Department is considering the position of those who have applied for compensation but do not appear to fulfil the qualifying criteria of the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme for a variety of reasons and will be writing to all such applicants in relation to their position in due course.
