600 GALWAY TURFCUTTERS APPLY FOR GOV COMPENSATION SCHEME

Date Published: 27-Feb-2013

659 raised bog owners across county Galway have applied for compensation under the government's Cessation of Turf Cutting scheme.

Figures provided by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht show that just over one million euro has been paid out to Galway turf-cutters affected by an EU directive.

Of all the Galway applicants, 468 applied for financial compensation, while 191 sought relocation.

Potential relocation sites have been identified for 10 bogs in County Galway and 63 deliveries of turf have also been made to impacted Galway homes.

A total of 53 raised bogs, comprising 2% of the sites from which peat can be harvested, have been nominated as Special Areas of Conservation or SACs.