Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 April 2024
417. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a bog owner with two plots on a designated bog can designate a second household that used the second bog plot to receive compensation as they have lost the right to cut turf on the bog but have not received any compensation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19327/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme (CTCCS) was established in 2011 for domestic turf cutters affected by the cessation of turf cutting on designated raised bogs. It comprises a payment of €1,500 per annum, index-linked, for 15 years, or relocation, where feasible, to a non-designated bog. The index-linked rate of compensation for 2024 is €1,839.
One of the primary objectives of the introduction of the CTCCS is to compensate families for the lack of access to fuel for domestic home heating to households as a result of the cessation of turf cutting on designated raised bogs. As such, one compensation claim per individual household is permitted under the scheme regardless of the number of bog plots owned by the individual within any bog encompassed by the scheme.
To qualify for the CTCCS scheme applicants must meet certain criteria including:
• Having a legal interest /ownership or turbary right in the designated bog since May 2010;
• Were cutting turf during the relevant 5 year qualifying period;
• The turbary is not exhausted
My Department would consider an application from the second household if the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme criteria are met. Further information on the scheme can be found on the National Parks and Wildlife Service website at the following link: www.npws.ie/peatlands-and-turf-cutting/turf-cutting-compensation-scheme
Additional bog plots not covered by CTCCS may qualify for the Protected Raised Bog Restoration Incentive Scheme (PRBRIS). This is a once off area based compensation scheme open to applications from property right holders who wish to have their lands included as part of the restoration scheme or where access is required for restoration works within a designated raised bog. More details on this scheme are also available on the National Parks and Wildlife Service website.
