Mr. Colm O'Donnell:

Senator Warfield asked about the benefits of including March for burning. If it could be done in February it would be done. If the conditions were dry enough to carry out a controlled burn then it would be done in February, but the reality is the days in March are getting longer and the natural drying out comes with the spring in March. That is the reason we want to carry out the controlled burning then. The wildfires that happened during the month of May were due to the conditions being too dry. In March the conditions are just drying out sufficiently to carry out a controlled burn where the farmer or the group of people carrying out the burn are in control. It is not like using petrol or fuel in the month of May when all the purple moor grass has decayed.

Burning is an agricultural activity to maintain the land. It is similar to reseeding in lowland areas or in an enclosed field. A germination process starts. The dormant seeds are in the ground. The ash helps the germination process. It is part of tradition. Heather is a shrub and grass that matures over time. We are talking about the mature vegetation. It has a life cycle. If it is not burned, it will fall over within the 15 year life cycle. We need to be able to manage it. The change would prevent the wildfires happening, to which Senator Warfield and other speakers referred. Even if an uncontrolled fire affects an area that had been managed properly and burned in a controlled fashion, it would fizzle out. Perhaps today is a good opportunity to look for a dedicated scheme run by the National Parks and Wildlife Service for the burning of uplands in a controlled fashion.