Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will have to get back to the Deputy with statistics and they are primarily something the Garda would have. I want to be clear that the Heritage Bill is not about illegal burning. The Deputy is correct about controlled burning and it will greatly reduce the chances of wildfires taking hold in upland areas. Large areas of unmanaged heather or gorse are not good for biodiversity and provide fuel for wildfires during dry spells, and that is what we saw happening last year. Storm Emma hit at the start of March this year, and just up the road in Northern Ireland, burning is permitted throughout March, and in upland areas it is allowed up to 15 April. This Bill would bring us in line with other jurisdictions like Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as I mentioned.

There are benefits to managed burning. The old growth strands of heather and woody stems cannot be managed by grazing, for example. It helps to create a diverse mix of habitat, both open and closed, a canopy of Calluna or heather, and it is of benefit to species like grouse and the hen harrier for ground nesting. There would be open areas for grouse for rearing chicks. New heather growth is essential for grouse rearing chicks, who feed exclusively on Calluna shoots. Other upland species, such as golden plover, mountain hare, lark and meadow pipits all benefit from the diversity created by managed burning. Unmanaged burning over long periods, in contrast, results in extensive upland areas seeing irreversible change to habitat. For example, heather growth would be replaced by purple moor grass, and this change displaces species like grouse and the hen harrier.

Burning during the months of April, May and June will destroy all ground-nesting birds and their chicks, and small mammal and lizard populations are also seriously impacted by this. The high densities of breeding curlew do not arise from burning but rather because of predator control and an abundance of habitat. Nonetheless, it shows that if managed properly, with due regard for timing and location, burning need not impact breeding curlew territories. The task force stakeholders in this area include the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, BirdWatch Ireland, Bord na Móna, farmers and individual experts. I thank the Deputy for his contribution.