Vol. 531 No. 3
343 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if a person (details supplied) in County Galway will be compensated for financial loss due to turf cutting restrictions preventing him from cutting sausage turf from his blanket bog. [5567/01]
Any owner of property rights over lands in special areas of conservation that are the subject of turfcutting restrictions, is entitled to compensation for financial losses aris ing from the restrictions on the use of those rights. My Department currently has no application for compensation from, or on behalf of, the named person.
It is not clear whether the individual is a commercial turfcutter or is cutting turf for his own domestic use. In order to establish entitlement to compensation, a commercial turfcutter must provide proof of ownership, vouched income, receipts and audited accounts. A current tax clearance certificate must also be made available for inspection. The use of sausage machines is not permitted within SACs but the use of other machines in areas where people have been cutting for their own domestic use, may continue for a fixed period.
