Significant efforts have been made by the State to resolve the issue of the protection of Ireland’s raised bog special areas of conservation and natural heritage areas within the framework of the EU Habitats Directive. This has included the establishment of the Peatlands Council, intensive and on-going engagement with turf cutting interests, the farming community, non-governmental organisations and with the European Commission, as well as the establishment of a long-term compensation scheme for affected turf cutters.
The cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme was established in 2011 for active turf cutters arising from the cessation of turf cutting on raised bog special areas of conservation and was extended in 2014 to include natural heritage areas. This scheme is applicable to turf cutters who have been affected by the designation of raised bogs as special areas of conservation and natural heritage areas and who fulfil the qualifying criteria of the scheme. It is comprised of a payment of €1,500 per annum, index-linked, for 15 years, or relocation, where feasible, to a non-designated bog, together with a legal agreement payment of €500.
2,569 applicants are regularly receiving annual payments under the scheme. There are other affected turf cutters, who may qualify under the scheme, who have not yet applied, and it remains open for these turf cutters to apply.
While applicants are waiting for relocation sites to be investigated, prepared and developed, they may, on an interim basis, opt for the annual payment of €1,500 (index-linked) or opt to receive an annual supply of up to 15 tonnes of cut turf delivered to their homes. To date, 1,150 deliveries of turf have been made to applicants.
Of the 2,569 applicants regularly receiving annual payments under the scheme, 263 have applied for relocation to a non-designated bog
Relocation of turf cutters is a complex process. Notwithstanding this, progress in relocation has been achieved in a number of cases and 72 turf cutters from 11 raised bog designated sites have been relocated to non-designated bogs. A further 4 relocation sites in counties Galway, Roscommon and Westmeath, which will accommodate up to 54 turf cutters, have been developed by my Department and are scheduled to be operational from 2020. Relocation sites for a further 6 special areas of conservation have been identified by the Department and are at various stages of development. These could accommodate up to approximately 50 turf cutters. The Department is still investigating suitable relocation sites for a further 7 raised bog special areas of conservation.
For certain designated sites, where a suitable relocation site has not been identified or where the identified relocation site cannot accommodate all applicants who have opted for relocation, the 15 year compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme (less any annual payments or the value of turf deliveries received) has been made available to them in the form of a lump sum to enable them to source and purchase bog plots themselves. 61 turf cutters have availed of this option from 8 special areas of conservation and 3 natural heritage areas.
For a number of the protected sites, the non-designated site identified may not be suitable or may not have the capacity to cater for the number of turf cutters who may wish to relocate there. In such cases and within the framework of the National Raised Bog Special Areas of Conservation Management Plan 2017-2022, the Department, in consultation with turf cutter representatives, is considering the available options in terms of relocation and the provisions of the Habitats Directive to provide for turf cutting with certain areas of raised bog special areas of conservation. 14 sites are under consideration for the possible application of article 6 of the Directive.
Details on the number of applicants regularly receiving annual payments under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme and the number who have applied for relocation are set out in the following table.
Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme
Site Code
|
Site Name
|
County of Bog
|
Number of applicants regularly receiving annual payments
|
Number of applicants regularly receiving annual payments who have applied for relocation
|
000006
|
Killyconny Bog (Cloghbally) cSAC
|
Roscommon
|
|
|
000221
|
Moorfield Bog/Farm Cottage NHA
|
Galway
|
13
|
0
|
000229
|
Ballygar Bog NHA
|
Galway
|
|
|
000231
|
Barroughter Bog cSAC
|
Galway
|
94
|
25
|
000235
|
Bracklagh Bog NHA
|
Galway
|
|
|
000248
|
Cloonmoylan Bog cSAC
|
Galway
|
101
|
0
|
000280
|
Castle Ffrench West Bog NHA
|
Galway
|
|
|
000281
|
Keeloges Bog NHA
|
Galway
|
20
|
0
|
000285
|
Kilsallagh Bog cSAC
|
Galway
|
61
|
7
|
000296
|
Lisnageeragh Bog and Ballinstack Turlough cSAC
|
Galway
|
15
|
2
|
000297
|
Lough Corrib cSAC
|
Galway
|
111
|
0
|
000301
|
Lough Lurgeen Bog/Glenamaddy Turlough cSAC
|
Galway
|
23
|
4
|
000307
|
Lough Tee Bog NHA
|
Galway
|
|
|
000321
|
Raford River Bog NHA
|
Galway
|
25
|
1
|
000326
|
Shankill West Bog cSAC
|
Galway
|
|
|
000333
|
Anna More Bog NHA
|
Kerry
|
12
|
0
|
000391
|
Ballynafagh Bog cSAC
|
Kildare
|
21
|
6
|
000422
|
Aghnamona Bog NHA
|
Leitrim
|
|
|
000440
|
Lough Ree cSAC
|
Roscommon
|
336
|
63
|
000497
|
Flughany Bog cSAC
|
Mayo/Sligo
|
11
|
0
|
000565
|
Clonydonnin Bog NHA
|
Westmeath
|
30
|
0
|
000566
|
All Saints Bog and Esker cSAC
|
Offaly
|
|
|
000572
|
Clara Bog cSAC
|
Offaly
|
45
|
2
|
000580
|
Mongan Bog cSAC
|
Offaly
|
|
|
000581
|
Moyclare Bog cSAC
|
Offaly
|
15
|
0
|
000585
|
Sharavogue Bog cSAC
|
Offaly
|
|
|
000592
|
Bellanagare Bog cSAC
|
Roscommon
|
182
|
10
|
000595
|
Callow Bog cSAC
|
Roscommon
|
92
|
5
|
000597
|
Carrowbehy/Caher Bog cSAC
|
Roscommon
|
|
|
000600
|
Cloonchambers Bog cSAC
|
Roscommon
|
21
|
1
|
000604
|
Derrinea Bog cSAC
|
Roscommon
|
|
|
000614
|
Cloonshanville Bog cSAC
|
Roscommon
|
|
|
000640
|
Arragh More Bog NHA
|
Tipperary
|
27
|
0
|
000641
|
Ballyduff/Clonfinane Bog cSAC
|
Tipperary
|
|
|
000642
|
Ballymacegan Bog NHA
|
Tipperary
|
|
|
000647
|
Kilcarren-Firville Bog cSAC
|
Tipperary
|
|
|
000674
|
Ballynagrenia and Ballinderry Bog NHA
|
Westmeath
|
63
|
2
|
000677
|
Cloncrow Bog (New Forest) NHA
|
Westmeath
|
|
|
000684
|
Lough Derravaragh NHA
|
Westmeath
|
12
|
0
|
000694
|
Wooddown Bog NHA
|
Westmeath
|
18
|
0
|
000937
|
Scohaboy Bog NHA
|
Tipperary
|
50
|
3
|
000993
|
Ayle Lower Bog NHA
|
Clare
|
|
|
001227
|
Aughrim Bog NHA
|
Galway
|
13
|
0
|
001242
|
Carrownagappul Bog cSAC
|
Galway
|
59
|
3
|
001244
|
Castle Ffrench East Bog NHA
|
Galway
|
|
|
001254
|
Derrinlough Bog NHA
|
Galway
|
17
|
1
|
001405
|
Cashel Bog (Leitrim) NHA
|
Leitrim
|
11
|
0
|
001450
|
Mount Jessop Bog NHA
|
Longford
|
|
|
001580
|
Girley Bog NHA
|
Meath
|
16
|
0
|
001623
|
Carrickynaghtan Bog NHA
|
Roscommon
|
38
|
0
|
001812
|
Lough Garr NHA
|
Westmeath
|
|
|
001818
|
Lough Forbes Complex cSAC
|
Longford
|
|
|
002033
|
Daingean Bog NHA
|
Offaly
|
13
|
0
|
002110
|
Corliskea/Trien/Cloonfelliv Bog cSAC
|
Galway/Roscommon
|
80
|
7
|
002298
|
River Moy cSAC
|
Mayo/Ros/Sligo
|
21
|
0
|
002331
|
Mouds Bog cSAC
|
Kildare
|
139
|
62
|
002332
|
Coolrain Bog cSAC
|
Laois
|
55
|
13
|
002333
|
Knockacoller Bog cSAC
|
Laois
|
18
|
5
|
002336
|
Carn Park Bog cSAC
|
Westmeath
|
45
|
2
|
002337
|
Crosswood Bog cSAC
|
Westmeath
|
59
|
2
|
002338
|
Drumalough Bog cSAC
|
Roscommon
|
18
|
1
|
002339
|
Ballynamona Bog and Corkip Lough cSAC
|
Roscommon
|
60
|
1
|
002340
|
Moneybeg and Clareisland Bogs cSAC
|
Westmeath
|
69
|
2
|
002341
|
Ardagullion Bog cSAC
|
Longford
|
23
|
0
|
002342
|
Mount Hevey Bog cSAC
|
Meath/Westmeath
|
38
|
2
|
002343
|
Tullaher Lough and Bog cSAC
|
Clare
|
31
|
0
|
002346
|
Brown Bog cSAC
|
Longford
|
|
|
002347
|
Camderry Bog cSAC
|
Galway
|
14
|
6
|
002348
|
Clooneen Bog cSAC
|
Longford
|
12
|
1
|
002349
|
Corbo Bog cSAC
|
Roscommon
|
49
|
6
|
002350
|
Curraghlehanagh Bog cSAC
|
Galway
|
33
|
5
|
002351
|
Moanveanlagh Bog cSAC
|
Kerry
|
28
|
0
|
002352
|
Monivea Bog cSAC
|
Galway
|
49
|
4
|
002353
|
Redwood Bog cSAC
|
Tipperary
|
73
|
0
|
002355
|
Hawkswood Bog NHA
|
Offaly
|
|
|
002356
|
Ardgraigue Bog cSAC
|
Galway
|
22
|
0
|
Grand Total
|
|
|
2569
|
263
|
Please note that where sites have small numbers of applicants, detailed information has not been shown as doing so risks disclosing personal information relating to the applicants. However, this data has been included in the total figures.