Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Has the Minister had any consultation with local landowners in the area affected by the fire? Has her Department explained to landowners that the widely held view that the recently passed Heritage Act has made it easier to burn vegetation is not based in fact? Has the Minister communicated the fact that she is opposed to such burning and that she views it as a threat? When we were debating the Heritage Bill in this House, the Minister's predecessor was involved in the discussion and gave the impression that Fine Gael was very anxious to spread the message that it would be made easier for landowners to burn during an extended season. The Minister and Fine Gael in government have only themselves to blame for giving the impression that the burning of vegetation is much easier now than in the past. At a time when we are debating the issue of climate change, does the Minister have proposals to revisit and re-examine the aforementioned legislation in the light of the disastrous fire in Killarney National Park? Killarney is a major tourism town. Fires such as the one that happened recently constitute a threat, not just to animal life but also to human life.

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