Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2015
908. 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 Clonmoylan 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. [14236/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra911. 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 departmental funds, categorised by year, from January 2011 to December 2014, in Clonmoylan bog (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14239/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra912. 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 December 2014, in Clonmoylan bog (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14240/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra913. 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 such multiple plot, categorised by year, from January 2011 to December 2014, in Clonmoylan bog (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14241/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra914. 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 December 2014, in Clonmoylan bog in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14242/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra915. 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 December 2014, in Clonmoylan bog in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14243/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 908 and 911 to 915, inclusive, 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. My Department is continuing to process applications in respect of special areas of conservation received before this date. Over €1 million has been paid to 56 individuals in respect of plots or turbary rights in Cloonmoylan Bog special area of conservation purchased by my Department. Table 1 below shows aggregate details of the total amount paid by the year in which the transaction took place. It is not considered appropriate to provide details of individual payments having regard to data protection requirements.
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. 4 applicants from Cloonmoylan Bog each received a payment of €1,000 in respect of 2010 during that year under this scheme. 2 further applicants from Cloonmoylan Bog each received a payment of €1,000 in 2011 under this scheme in respect of 2010.
This scheme was 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 Cloonmoylan Bog special area of conservation since 2011 and 94 applications under the scheme for this site had been received and acknowledged by my Department up to the end of 2014. A total of 276 payments and 5 turf deliveries have been made in respect of the applications received. In addition, 51 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 74 individual applicants having received payments and 2 individuals having received turf deliveries under the scheme thus far.
Table 2 below shows the number of applications received in respect of Cloonmoylan Bog broken down by year. Table 3 below shows the number of payments and turf deliveries made in respect of Cloonmoylan Bog broken down by year.
In five cases relating to Cloonmoylan Bog special area of conservation, compensation has been made available under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme to the land owner/turbary right holder and to one other who had been cutting turf on the same bog plot. Aggregate details of the amounts paid and turf delivered in tonnes in respect of year 1 (2011), year 2 (2012), year 3 (2013) and year 4 (2014) of the scheme are set out in Table 4 below.
I am advised that, at this stage, one applicant from this site has been informed by my Department that he does not fulfil the qualifying criteria of the scheme. In this case the area in respect of which the applicant had applied for compensation was not within the designated site. While it may be anticipated that there will be further 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 - Voluntary Bog Purchase Scheme - total amount paid by year in Cloonmoylan Bog in County Galway
|
Year |
Total Amount Paid |
|
1999 |
€109,273.96 |
|
2000 |
€145,172.14 |
|
2001 |
€5,565.21 |
|
2002 |
€75,434.27 |
|
2005 |
€206,457.90 |
|
2006 |
€111,851.69 |
|
2007 |
€17,719.23 |
|
2008 |
€83,647.73 |
|
2009 |
€88,612.28 |
|
2010 |
€62,817.38 |
|
2012 |
€21,425.00 |
|
2013 |
€12,258.13 |
|
2014 |
€68,291.88 |
Table 2 – Number of applications by year received under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme in respect of Cloonmoylan Bog
|
- |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
Applications Received |
33 |
40 |
11 |
10 |
Table 3 – Number of turf deliveries and payments made under the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme for Cloonmoylan Bog
|
Total Number of Applications Received |
Turf Deliveries |
Turf Deliveries |
Turf Deliveries |
Turf Deliveries |
Payments (Total of 276) |
Payments (Total of 276) |
Payments (Total of 276) |
Payments (Total of 276) |
Legal Agreement Payments |
|
- |
Year 2011 |
Year 2012 |
Year 2013 |
Year 2014 |
Year 2011 |
Year 2012 |
Year 2013 |
Year 2014 |
- |
|
94 |
- |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
95 |
88 |
90 |
51 |
Table 4 – Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme – Cloonmoylan Bog
Compensation made to Land Owner or Turbary Right Holder Applicant and to others who had been cutting on the same bog plots from 2011 to 2014
|
Number of payees |
Paid for 2011 |
Turf 2011 (tonnes) |
Paid for 2012 |
Turf 2012 (tonnes) |
Paid for 2013 |
Turf 2013 (tonnes) |
Paid for 2014 |
Turf 2014 (tonnes) |
Legal Agreement Payments |
|
10 |
€13,500 |
- |
€12,000 |
15 |
€12,144 |
20 |
€12,168 |
20 |
€1,000 (2 cases) |
