Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I make this reply on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin for raising this issue on the Adjournment. It is an important matter when a major stretch of land of high amenity value is destroyed in this way.

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government understands that the fire in this mountain range, which is located in County Tyrone and County Monaghan, started in the County Tyrone part of the area on the afternoon of Sunday, 23 May. Unfortunately, it then spread across the border to County Monaghan. The fire affected a large area of open mountain moorland as well as 8.5 hectares of Coillte plantation and also private conifer plantations. According to the observations of the Department's conservation ranger at the location, the site is still smouldering in Northern Ireland today.

The main nature conservation interest in the area is the open mountain habitat and rare species occurring there. The habitat types form a complex of blanket bog, dry and wet heaths, upland grasslands and natural acidic and nutrient-poor lakes and ponds. Some of these habitats are of European importance, for example, in the case of blanket bog. Part of the mountain range is a proposed natural heritage area under the wildlife legislation. This is Eshbrack Mountain, site code 001603. Another part of it, over the land frontier, is designated as a candidate special area of conservation. This is Slieve Beagh, EC site code UK0016622.

The Eshbrack Mountain proposed natural heritage area is a large area of blanket bog complex occurring at an altitude range of 200 to 250 metres on the southern side of Slieve Beagh. Part of it has already been impacted upon by turbary, mostly arising from machine cutting, while smaller areas have been afforested. The site contains some areas of unmodified mountain blanket bog dominated by ling heather, cranberry, deergrass and bog mosses. Areas of species-rich wet grasslands, flushes and wet and dry heaths also occur. The area is without doubt one of the most scenic areas of County Monaghan and it is also one of the few wilderness landscapes of the county.

The mountain range is also an important area for birds, and it is under consideration for European designation as a special protection area, SPA, for species such as the hen harrier, which has a stronghold in this area. There are some seven pairs breeding in this mountain range across both counties. This species is using open heathlands or young conifer plantations for nesting and it is foraging over open moorland. The mountain range is also used by Greenland white-fronted geese, red grouse, merlin and golden plover.

The wildlife of the open mountain can be seriously damaged by burning. The fire can cause the loss of nests, eggs and young of the bird species mentioned and can seriously damage the foraging area of these birds. Regional staff of the Department's national parks and wildlife service will continue to monitor the impact of the fire on the proposed natural heritage area and the mountain range. The conservation ranger who visited the site today estimates that about 10% of the area is affected.

To gain a more accurate picture of the damage and to draw up the most suitable action plan for the area, an aerial patrol is planned within the present month. Following this survey, a suitable monitoring regime can be designed by the staff in liaison with Monaghan County Council, landowners and other interested parties for the County Monaghan part of the site. Advice on best restorative measures will be provided by national parks and wildlife service personnel. Initial contact has been made with the environment and heritage service of the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland, as the mountain range is an ecological unit. I anticipate that further contacts will facilitate the co-ordination of ecological monitoring and restorative actions on both sides of the Border.

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