Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme Payments

Thursday, 5 February 2015

Questions (313)

Frank Feighan

Question:

313. Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount paid out under the turf cutting cessation scheme; the number of persons it has been paid to; the total amounts paid out in the respective counties; the amount that has been ring-fenced by her Department to ensure that the scheme can continue to pay out over a 15-year period; if the scheme is still open; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5203/15]

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Written answers

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

To-date 3,057 applications for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme for raised bog special areas of conservation have been received and acknowledged by my Department. A total of 6,437 payments and 650 deliveries of turf have been made in respect of the applications received. In addition, 1,330 once-off incentive payments of €500 have been made to applicants who have signed and returned legal agreements under the scheme to my Department. Details of the expenditure under the scheme for these sites, grouped by county, are set out in Table 1 SACs below. The total expenditure amounts to over €11.6 million. This expenditure is comprised of amounts paid in respect of annual payments, turf deliveries and once-off incentive payments.

My Department estimates that in the region of 2,300 individual applicants have received payments under the scheme for raised bog special areas of conservation. The cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme has been extended to land owners and turbary right holders affected by the restrictions on turf cutting in raised bog natural heritage areas. 164 applications have been received and payments have been made to 94 individual applicants at a cost of over €142,000. Details of the expenditure under the scheme for these sites, grouped by county, are set out in Table 2 NHAs.

The closing date for the receipt of applications generally has passed for raised bog special area of conservation sites. However, my Department will continue to accept late applications under the scheme for the time being.

As domestic turf cutting may continue with my consent, as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, until 1 January 2017, no closing date has been set for the receipt of applications for raised bog natural heritage area sites.

I have ensured that sufficient funds are available in relation to the operation of this scheme for this year. Funding for future years will be made available from the financial allocations to my Department.

Table 1 SACs

Site Code	Name of raised bog special area of conservation	County	Expenditure under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme
000006	Killyconny Bog (Cloghbally)	Cavan/ Meath	€9,539
000231	Barroughter Bog	Galway	-
000248	Cloonmoylan Bog	Galway	-
000285	Kilsallagh Bog	Galway	-
000296	Lisnageeragh Bog and Ballinstack Turlough	Galway
000301	Lough Lurgeen Bog/ Glenamaddy Turlough	Galway	-
000326	Shankill West Bog	Galway	-
001242	Carrownagappul Bog	Galway	-
002347	Camderry Bog	Galway	-
002350	Curraghlehanagh Bog	Galway	-
002352	Monivea Bog	Galway	-
002356	Ardgraigue Bog	Galway	€2,489,467
000297	Lough Corrib	Galway/Mayo	€624,583
000382	Sheheree (Ardagh) Bog	Kerry	-
002351	Moanveanlagh Bog	Kerry	€110,842
000391	Ballynafagh Bog	Kildare	-
002331	Mouds Bog	Kildare	€777,935
000440	Lough Ree	Roscommon/ Longford/Westmeath	€1,364,343
000497	Flughany Bog	Sligo/Mayo	€65,896
000566	All Saints Bog and Esker	Offaly	-
000572	Clara Bog	Offaly	-
000575	Ferbane Bog	Offaly	-
000580	Mongan Bog	Offaly	-
000581	Moyclare Bog	Offaly	-
000582	Raheenmore Bog	Offaly	-
000585	Sharavogue Bog	Offaly	€479,957
000592	Bellanagare Bog	Roscommon	-
000595	Callow Bog	Roscommon	-
000597	Carrowbehy/Caher Bog	Roscommon	-
000600	Cloonchambers Bog	Roscommon	-
000604	Derrinea Bog	Roscommon	-
000614	Cloonshanville Bog	Roscommon	-
002338	Drumalough Bog	Roscommon	-
002339	Ballynamona Bog and Corkip Lough	Roscommon	-
002349	Corbo Bog	Roscommon	-
002354	Tullaghanrock Bog	Roscommon	€2,199,557
000641	Ballyduff/Clonfinane Bog	Tipperary	-
000647	Kilcarren-Firville Bog	Tipperary	-
002353	Redwood Bog	Tipperary	€440,829
000679	Garriskil Bog	Westmeath	-
002336	Carn Park Bog	Westmeath	-
002337	Crosswood Bog	Westmeath	€553,666
001818	Lough Forbes Complex	Roscommon/ Longford	€7,518
002110	Corliskea/Trien/Cloonfelliv Bog	Galway/ Roscommon	€437,193
002298	River Moy	Mayo/ Roscommon/ Sligo	€139,896
002332	Coolrain Bog	Laois	-
002333	Knockacoller Bog	Laois	€386,843
002340	Moneybeg and Clareisland Bogs	Meath/ Westmeath	-
002342	Mount Hevey Bog	Meath/ Westmeath	€568,474
002341	Ardagullion Bog	Longford	-
002346	Brown Bog	Longford	-
002348	Clooneen Bog	Longford	€215,305
002343	Tullaher Lough and Bog	Clare	€674,046

Table 2 NHAs

Site Code	Name of raised bog natural heritage area	County	Expenditure under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme
000985	Lough Kinale and Derragh Lough	Cavan, Longford and Westmeath	€1,521
000993	Ayle Lower Bog	Clare	€12,168
000229	Ballygar Bog	Galway	-
000281	Keeloges Bog	Galway	-
000307	Lough Tee Bog	Galway	-
000321	Raford River Bog	Galway	-
001227	Aughrim Bog	Galway	-
001254	Derrinlough Bog	Galway	€25,857
000333	Anna More Bog	Kerry	€10,647
001405	Cashel Bog	Leitrim	-
000422	Aghnamona Bog	Leitrim and Longford	€10,647
000691	Rinn River	Leitrim and Longford	€3,042
001450	Mount Jessop Bog	Longford	€3,042
000565	Clonydonnin Bog	Offaly and Westmeath	€3,042
001623	Carrickynaghtan Bog	Roscommon	€10,647
000640	Arragh More Bog	Tipperary	-
000937	Scohaboy Bog	Tipperary	€15,210
000674	Ballynagrenia and Ballinderry Bog	Westmeath	-
000677	Cloncrow Bog (New Forest)	Westmeath	-
000684	Lough Derravaragh	Westmeath	-
000694	Wooddown Bog	Westmeath	-
001812	Lough Garr Bog	Westmeath	€30,420
000221	Moorfield Bog/ Farm Cottage	Galway and Roscommon	€1,521
001580	Girley Bog	Meath	€15,210