Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 March 2015
1011. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of applicants who applied for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, categorised by year from January 2011 to the end of December 2014 in Ardgraigue Bog (details supplied) in County Galway, site code 002356. [12060/15]
View answer1012. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of applicants who received monetary compensation and turf deliveries, categorised by year from January 2011 to the end of December 2014, in Ardgraigue Bog (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12061/15]
View answer1013. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of turf plots on which multiple compensation payments were made and the specific amounts paid for each multiple plot, categorised by year from January 2011 to the end of December 2014, in Ardgraigue Bog, County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12064/15]
View answer1014. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of applicants who did not meet the criteria of the scheme, that is, were not cutting turf on their plots in any of the five reference years or where their plots are cut out and have no raised bog remaining, categorised by year from January 2011 to the end of December 2014, in Ardgraigue Bog (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12065/15]
View answer1015. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of compensation payments made to applicants which her Department has sought or is now seeking to have repaid to the Department, categorised by year for the years 2011 to 2014, in Ardgraigue Bog (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12066/15]
View answer1018. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of plot owners who were paid money for turf plots in Ardgraigue Bog (details supplied) in County Galway under schemes other than the current cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme; the amounts paid to each recipient in such instances, categorised by year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12069/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1011 to 1015, inclusive, and 1018 together.
Compensation has been paid under a number of schemes administered by my Department in respect of raised bog habitat nominated for designation as special areas of conservation under the EU Habitats Directive.
In 1999, a voluntary bog purchase scheme was introduced under which domestic turf cutters could sell their plots at agreed rates. These rates were subsequently increased in 2004, following agreement with the farming organisations under the Partnership talks. In May 2010, the then Government announced the closure of the voluntary bog purchase scheme to new applicants. While my Department is continuing to process applications in respect of special areas of conservation received before this date, it has received no applications from Ardgraigue Bog under this scheme.
In May 2010, an interim compensation payment scheme was established. This provided interim funding to those who had been cutting turf on raised bog special areas of conservation nominated for designation between 1997 and 1999. As Ardgraigue Bog was not one of these sites, this scheme did not apply to that bog. Consequently, no applications under the scheme were received for the site.
This scheme has been replaced by the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, established in 2011.
The qualifying criteria for the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, administered by my Department, are that:
- The claimant must have a legal interest in one of the 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.
The cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme has applied to Ardgraigue Bog special area of conservation since 2012 and 25 applications under the scheme for this site have been received and acknowledged by my Department. A total of 60 payments have been made in respect of the applications received. In addition, 13 once-off incentive payments of €500 have been made to applicants who have signed and returned legal agreements under the scheme to my Department.
This equates to some 21 individual applicants having received payments under the scheme thus far.
Table 1 below shows the number of applications received in respect of Ardgraigue Bog broken down by year. Table 2 below shows the number of payments made in respect of Ardgraigue Bog broken down by year.
In one case relating to Ardgraigue Bog special area of conservation, compensation has been paid under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme to the land owner/turbary right holder and to two other applicants who had been cutting turf on the same bog plot.
Details of the amounts paid in each case in respect of year 1 (2012), year 2 (2013), and year 3 (2014) of the scheme are set out in Table 3 below.
I am advised that, at this stage, no applicant from this site has been informed by my Department that he/she does not fulfil the qualifying criteria of the scheme. While it may be anticipated that there will be instances where applicants will be informed that they do not fulfil the qualifying criteria, current priority is being given to providing compensation to those who clearly appear to fulfil the criteria on the basis of the information they have provided. In addition, establishing ownership rights is particularly complex and my Department is working with owners of land and turbary right holders to assist them in this regard.
My Department has not to date sought repayment of any compensation paid to applicants from this site.
Table 1 - Number of applications by year received under the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme in respect of Ardgraigue Bog
|
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
|
Applications Received |
19 |
4 |
2 |
Table 2 - Number of turf deliveries and payments made to date under the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme for Ardgraigue Bog
|
Total Number of Applications Received |
Turf Deliveries |
Payments (Total of 60) |
Legal Agreement Payments |
||||
|
Year 2012 |
Year 2013 |
Year 2014 |
Year 2012 |
Year 2013 |
Year 2014 |
||
|
25 |
- |
- |
- |
16 |
18 |
26 |
13 |
Table 3 – Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme – Ardgraigue Bog
Compensation made to Land Owner or Turbary Right Holder Applicant and to Other Applicants on the same bog plot for 2012 to 2014
|
Case Number |
Paid for 2012 |
Paid for 2013 |
Paid for 2014 |
Legal Agreement Payments |
|
Case 1 (Owner/Turbary Right Holder) |
€1,500 |
€1,518 |
€1,521 |
€500 |
|
Case 2 (Cutting on Case 1's plot) |
€1,500 |
€1,518 |
€1,521 |
0 |
|
Case 3 (Cutting on Case 1's plot) |
€1,500 |
€1,518 |
€1,521 |
0 |
