Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will, with two sentences. In relation to burning, those of us who live in rural areas have tried to explain this time and again. Most accidental burning of mountains happens in April, May and June during the dry weather. When one does not have controlled burning or control of overgrown vegetation, it becomes woody and then it is like a tinderbox when one gets into April, May and June. One will not burn vegetation in February. It is hard enough to do it in March. By not agreeing to the extension that was agreed in good faith by the Oireachtas, what the Minister has done is lightly lit and burnt much more hills than she would have done if she had heeded the advice of those who know what has been happening for 200 years on the hills. There has always been burning, but one of the problems is, because of destocking of sheep, there is much more wood growing and heather growing into woody heather in the hills and it is much more likely to go up in flames. By not controlling this - controlled burning requires permission and one must do it in certain ways - the Minister will lose more hillside this way than she would have if we had applied the regulation and those who say otherwise do not understand the issue.