Michael Ring
Ceist:386 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the compensation a person (details supplied) in County Mayo is entitled to for not cutting turf on their bog. [26038/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 27 October 2004
Ceisteanna (281)
Freagraí scríofa
My Department provides compensation in certain circumstances to persons who cease to cut turf and who are owners of land or turbary rights in bogs that have been statutorily proposed for designation as a special area of conservation, SAC, or natural heritage area, NHA. The scheme is applicable primarily to any person who wishes to sell freehold, fee simple or turbary rights over designated raised bogs, which are mainly in the midlands, and where it is necessary to restrict turf cutting.
As far as possible my Department seeks to avoid restricting domestic turf cutting by means other than sausage machines in blanket bogs, which are in mountain areas and in western counties. From the information supplied it would appear that the land in question lies within the Bellacorick bog complex, candidate SAC No. 1922, and is classified as blanket bog. My Department will only consider payment of compensation in these areas in exceptional circumstances where it is found necessary to discontinue cutting of turf. In such cases, blanket bog will be purchased at the rate of €1,000 per acre or part thereof and an additional incentive payment will also be paid, as follows.
Anyone who sells full title or turbary rights before December 2005 will get an additional payment of €6,000. The value of this payment to those selling in later years will decline by €600 per annum. This is a once-off payment and not a per acre payment. Alternatively, an annual payment of €600, for a maximum of ten years will be available to a landowner who does not want to sell but who commits to cease cutting and allow drain blocking or other essential restoration works. It is conditional on satisfactory evidence of title being produced and the landowner will have to sign a legal agreement. It is important to emphasise that, in designated blanket bogs, all of these payments will only arise where, for conservation reasons, turf cutting cannot be allowed to continue.