Over 200 landowners have received a single payment of €24,100 over the last year to cease turf cutting on designated raised bogs around the country.

The Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme first opened in 2011 to compensate households affected by the restrictions on turf cutting for domestic use on raised bog Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Natural Heritage Areas (NHA).

Up until October 2023, eligible scheme applicants were paid between €1,500 and €1,839 per year over 15 years to cease turf cutting for domestic use on protected sites.

An option of a single €24,100 payment was introduced on 1 October 2023.

Since then, 215 landowners have been compensated so far.

The Department of Housing said that 556 applications are currently in progress and of the applications assessed to date, 232 were deemed ineligible.

Just over 2,120 existing applicants received annual payments in 2024. Some 3,120 applicants have been compensated to date since the scheme began in 2011.

Other bogs

The scheme also offered compensation of €500 for those who wish to move to a non-designated bog.

According to the Department, 111 landowners were eligible for this payment.

A spokesperson for the Department of Housing said: “Ireland has a significant proportion of the small surviving remnants of raised bog within Europe and we therefore have a particular responsibility for their protection and conservation.

A restored bog can actively sequester carbon and once restored it becomes a carbon store.”

The scheme is now effectively closed to new applicants.