565. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actions his Department intends to undertake in relation to the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General review into the operation of the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme. [73406/26]

The Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme (CTCCS) was established following engagement with stakeholders in 2011 for active domestic turf cutters arising from the restrictions on turf cutting on 53 raised bog special areas of conservation (SAC) and was extended in 2014 to include 36 raised bog natural heritage areas (NHA).

This scheme has compensated those impacted by restrictions on turf-cutting on protected sites, and over its 15-year term has helped to ensure the conservation of important peatland sites of unique ecological value.

In 2026 the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) carried out a performance audit of the CTCCS which was published in September 2026 as part of the C&AG’s Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2025.  The report made three recommendations regarding the operation of the Scheme relating to:

(i) The conducting of checks, investigations and enforcement action when indications of illegal turf cutting are identified on protected raised bogs;

(ii) That the design of any new department schemes with an environmental protection, conservation or restoration focus are informed by an assessment of the outcomes and lessons learnt from the CTCCS scheme and have linked metrics;

(iii) Procedures for any overpayments under the Scheme.

My Department accepted the conclusions of the Comptroller and Auditor Generals report and is continuing to work towards implementing their recommendations. Actions being taken include:

• The Department will undertake a review of the CTCCS scheme following its completion. This report will assess the effectiveness of the scheme and lessons learnt. Any new schemes for nature restoration will take into account these learnings and include set key performance indicators.

• The Department considers that the scheme has contributed significantly to the cessation of peat extraction on protected raised bogs, through its introduction, engagement with stakeholders and in combination with other enforcement and compliance measures. Nevertheless, to continue to fulfil the State legal obligations under the Habitats Directives an action plan is in development which will set out measures to ensure ongoing compliance with this Directive.

• The Department will review its existing procedures for overpayments and take the necessary steps in 2027 to complete the formal write-off of any outstanding balances.

Ireland has a comprehensive legal and policy framework in place for the protection of Annex I bog habitats and for the control of peat extraction in general. It has taken, and continues to take, effective protection, enforcement, and restoration measures to conserve these sites selected for raised bog habitats as required by Article 6(2) of the Habitats Directive.