Written Answers - Turbary Rights Thursday, 13 October 2011

Dáil Éireann Debate Vol. 743 No. 3 Page of 178

  118.  Deputy Frank Feighan      asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht      the [766]number of persons who have applied to sell their interests in the raised bog sites designated as special areas of conservation. [29358/11]

  119.  Deputy Frank Feighan      asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht      the number of persons who applied to sell their interests in the raised bog sites designated as special areas of conservation that have been paid to date. [29359/11]

  120.  Deputy Frank Feighan      asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht      the number of persons who have applied to sell their interests in the raised bogs sites designated as special areas of conservation that are still waiting to be paid. [29360/11]

  121.  Deputy Frank Feighan      asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht      the amount of money he has paid out to date to applicants selling their interests in the raised bog sites designated as special areas of conservation. [29361/11]

  122.  Deputy Frank Feighan      asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht      the average waiting time to be paid for persons who have applied to sell their interests in the raised bog sites designated as special areas of conservation. [29362/11]

  123.  Deputy Frank Feighan      asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht      the number of persons in County Roscommon that have applied to sell their interests in the raised bogs sites designated as special areas of conservation. [29363/11]

  124.  Deputy Frank Feighan      asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht      the number of persons in County Leitrim that have applied to sell their interests in the raised bog sites designated as special areas of conservation. [29364/11]

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Deputy Jimmy Deenihan):    I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 to 124, inclusive, together.

Over €26 million has been paid under the Voluntary Bog Purchase Scheme since it was launched in 1999. Details of applications relating to Special Areas of Conservation are set out in the table. In May 2010, the voluntary bog purchase scheme was closed to new applicants. Completion of applications on-hand has been slower than anticipated due to capacity constraints in undertaking the conveyancing work involved. The time it takes to process applications can also vary depending on the legal complexities involved.

It is acknowledged that some applicants have been waiting for several years for their sales to complete. My Department will be writing to all remaining applicants under the voluntary purchase scheme in the coming weeks to outline their options in light of recent policy decisions regarding the availability of alternative compensation arrangements.

* There are no Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in Leitrim which come under the terms of this scheme.

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