Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 September 2014
557. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the moneys paid to Bullrush in full under the turf compensation scheme and if this 200 plus acres of bog is now officially the property of National Parks and Wildlife Service. [35918/14]
View answerUnder the provisions of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 and the Wildlife Acts, compensation is payable in certain circumstances where activities must cease for the conservation of a designated site. The company referred to in the Deputy’s Question was compelled to cease commercial peat extraction operations within certain designated sites and applied for compensation for the losses that it incurred.
As indicated in the reply to the Deputy to Question No. 93 of 17 May 2012, under the terms of a settlement, my Department agreed to purchase a large holding of land from the company (circa 350 acres) for €150,000. Compensation amounting to €2.35m was also paid for the losses arising from the requirement to cease commercial peat extraction operations within the sites.
The sale was completed in June 2012 and registration of title to the land to the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has been finalised.
