The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is proposing to enter into a data sharing agreement with the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage in relation to the ownership of bogs.
Under the agreement, the DAFM would provide land ownership and turbary right data to the department of housing.
The data will enable the department of housing to comply with its obligations under the EU Habitats Directive and Wildlife Acts in relation to nature conservation objectives, particularly in relation to turbary rights on specific bogs.
The information would be used in the administration of the Protected Raised Bog Restoration Incentive Scheme and the Protected Raised Bog Restoration Programme through identifying landowners.
In some cases, data, including names, addresses and folio/turbary data, may be shared between the department of housing and Bord na Mona for the Protected Raised Bog Restoration Programme on designated and non-designated bogs.
Some of the data from DAFM would date from early 1900 and in most cases the information being shared will relate to deceased persons.
Data sharing
The data provided may be used to qualify an applicant for compensation under the scheme by supporting their claim to a legal interest in land on a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) or Natural Heritage Area (NHA) site.
The information could also be used as part of the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme to identify landowners and turbary right holders and ensure the qualifying criteria of the scheme have been met.
The data sharing agreement is planned to begin on May 5, 2023 and will continue until the parties agree to terminate it.
The plan outlines that access to the information would be restricted to authorised staff, who have been trained in the appropriate usage, and this would be reviewed periodically.
The department has said that the personal data shall be kept secure through “the implementation of appropriate security measures and safeguards”.
The data would be held for five years and then destroyed or deleted in a manner which ensures that confidentiality is not affected and contents are not ascertainable.
The proposed data sharing agreement is currently out for public consultation.
Members of the public are invited to make submissions by email to [email protected] until April 20.
Submissions must include the full agreement name “DAFMDHLGH 016_220914 DSA for EU Habitats Directive and Wildlife Acts Data ” in the subject line of the email.