Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I visited the Wicklow Mountains National Park this week and I met Wesley Atkinson and Hugh McAlinden, two members of the National Parks and Wildlife Service team the Deputy knows. I witnessed at first hand very significant damage to the habitat there. It was quite disturbing to see it close up.

I thank our team in the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the fire service, An Garda Síochána, the Civil Defence and all who worked to tackle this blaze and are continuing to work throughout the country. Similar fires have taken place in the Slieve Bloom Mountains and on Brandon Hill in my county.

These wildfires do not occur naturally in Ireland. The main cause of such conflagrations is thought to be the deliberate starting of fires without concern for the emergency services, the wildlife habitat, communities or even private property close by. Important upland habitats are destroyed with local wildlife potentially killed or displaced at a critical time of year for many species. These sites are special areas of conservation and among the most precious places in Ireland for nature, and home to thriving populations of rare bird species. Setting these fires is absolutely criminal and an all-too-frequent tragedy. These fires impact on water quality and on soil stability, on climate and on human health.

As the Deputy will appreciate, Wicklow Mountains National Park comprises more than 20,000 ha and so it is very difficult to provide a visible presence on the ground to discourage and prevent unauthorised burning in the countryside. Equally, trying to identify the culprits - those who deliberately set fires in open areas without concern for the consequences - can be difficult. The Deputy made that case in regard to an area that has been burned 11 times. It is very difficult.

In the past week, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, has deployed increased fire patrols at our sites and remains in close liaison with the Garda and the fire services. These patrols have targeted known fire high risk areas. Where appropriate, cross compliance is pursued with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. My staff are committed to finding solutions to these fires and I call on all stakeholders, including the local communities, to work with us to find a way forward. Where evidence is forthcoming, we will pursue appropriate enforcement under the Wildlife Act or other legislation. Section 40 of the Wildlife Acts 1976 to 2012 prohibits the cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction of vegetation, with certain strict exemptions, from 1 March to 31 August, during the nesting and breeding season for birds and wildlife. Burning of vegetation on uncultivated land is prohibited without exception during these dates. These fires are criminal and frequently end in tragedy.

Considerable inter-agency efforts have been made to reduce the incidence of wildland fires, led by my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, whose Department monitors conditions and issues wildland fire warning notices. That Department has led inter-agency reviews with a view to enhancing the mitigation of wildland fires.

The main challenges include encouraging members of the public, including landowners, farmers and recreational users of publicly accessible land, to act responsibly at all times, to be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, to be mindful of the need to protect property both publicly owned and privately owned, to appreciate the value of our natural heritage, particularly in our national parks, nature reserves and designated Natura 2000 sites. I appeal to all members of the public to be conscious of the danger posed by fire - any fire - but particularly a fire on open ground which can very quickly get out of control. We have all seen how homes and lives can be threatened and we have seen also the damage to the landscape and to valuable habitats caused by uncontrolled fires. Largely, it is a question of individuals being more responsible about actions they take and being mindful of the potential damage to life, private property and public property that can be caused by carelessly setting fires.

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