Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme Payments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 June 2015

Thursday, 18 June 2015

Ceisteanna (270, 271)

Michael Fitzmaurice

Ceist:

270. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide, in tabular form, a list of all the commercial operators who have been provided with monetary compensation and-or an alternative relocation bog out of public funds, as a result of the cessation of commercial operations on bogland sites designated under European and Irish legislation; if he will include, in each individual case, the site code of the designated site; the year the site was designated; the designation type; the year commercial operations ceased; the year payment was made; the amount of bog being surrendered on the site; the total figure for monetary compensation paid; the figure for compensation paid per acre; the area of alternative relocation bog provided; the total cost to the State of each individual agreement, plus the overall cost to the State for the cessation of all commercial operations on designated bogs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24292/15]

Michael Fitzmaurice

Ceist:

271. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will state for the record of Dáil Éireann that all persons, individual or corporate, who were cutting turf or extracting peat commercially on those bogs that are designated as sites of community importance, have received full compensation and-or relocation to another bog in respect of the losses imposed upon them and their enterprises by the designation of the bogs on which they were operating as being of special community importance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24313/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 271 together.

In February 1999, compensation arrangements for industrial and commercial operators affected by the cessation of turf cutting on raised bogs, which were proposed as special areas of conservation, were announced. These compensation arrangements become applicable to additional sites over time.

Since then, applications for compensation from affected industrial and commercial operators have been made to and assessed by my Department. Compensation has been paid by my Department on the basis of proven actual losses incurred as a result of the cessation of industrial and commercial turf extraction on protected sites.

There is no standard per acre rate of payment of compensation in respect of these applications. Compensation is paid on the basis of the assessment in each individual case.

My Department holds no records of any industrial and commercial operators being compensated by relocation to a non-designated bog.

The table below sets out the details of payments made, including legal fees, on foot of applications for compensation from industrial and commercial operators affected by the cessation of turf cutting on protected sites. The total amount paid in compensation amounts to €7,613,807.

Officials from my Department will need to examine each individual file with a view to ascertaining the year each applicant ceased operations. The information derived from this exercise will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

-	Candidate SAC or NHA	SITE CODE	SITE NAME	Year site nominated for designation as an SAC or NHA	Year in which compensation was paid	Area of land covered by the application for compensation (Ha)	Amount of compensation paid
Case 1	Raised Bog cSAC	000248	Cloonmoylan Bog cSAC	1997	2011	16.9334	€157,532
Case 2	Blanket Bog cSAC	002006	Ox Mountains Bog cSAC	1997	2004	32.37	€143,787
Case 3	Raised Bog cSAC	001818	Lough Forbes Complex cSAC	1997	2006	18.6122	€442,466
Case 4	Raised Bog cSAC	000641	Ballyduff/Clonfinane Bog cSAC	1997	2003	15.7327	€447,666
Case 5	Raised Bog NHA	001448	Forthill Bog NHA	2002	2004	7.4364	€188,289
Case 6	Raised Bog NHA	000677	Cloncrow Bog (New Forest) NHA	2002	2004	37.2324	€443,462
Case 7	Raised Bog NHA	000640	Arragh More Bog NHA	2002	2011	35.6136	€720,327
Case 8	Raised Bog cSAC NHA	002331 & 001725	Mouds Bog cSAC & Nure Bog NHA	2002	2012	142	€2,687,236
Case 9	Raised Bog NHA	000937	Scohaboy Bog NHA	2002	2009	5.57	€418,705
Case 10	Raised Bog NHA	000937	Scohaboy Bog NHA	2002	2013	46.3	€855,000
Case 11	Raised Bog cSAC	002331	Mouds Bog cSAC	2002	2010	16.3	€605,270
Case 12	Raised Bog cSAC	002331	Mouds Bog cSAC	2002	2007	10.2134	€140,234
Case 13	Raised Bog cSAC	000391	Ballynafagh Bog cSAC	1997	2008	1.8490	€26,200
Case 14	Raised Bog NHA	000642	Ballymacegan Bog NHA	2002	2010	22.337	€337,633
							€7,613,807