Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

When we get new wildlife rangers, and please God we will, I suggest that retired rangers who gave a lifetime of service be brought back in for a time to impart the wealth of knowledge they built up over decades of working in the national park to the new wildlife rangers. That is one suggestion. We also need to bring in scientifically qualified people to go through the burned areas. We must learn a lot about what we are going to do about the situation on the ground and scientific research must be done in that regard. We have young students suitably qualified in environmental courses in University College Cork, UCC, and the Institute of Technology Tralee, ITT. I ask that during the summer these people be given the experience of working in the burned areas of the national park researching those data and trying to help us in future.

It is believed this fire started late of an evening, which is worrying. We need to establish why this has become such a common occurrence. It is nearly as sure as night follows day that we will have fires at the end of a dry spell, in particular in the national park. This fire took a real hold.

I am very grateful that 60 wildlife rangers are coming, as the Taoiseach stated. As I told him, we have five wildlife rangers now. If we were given five, six or seven more from the 60 recruited nationally, we would be extremely grateful.

The Taoiseach should not give the impression that 60 wildlife rangers are coming to Kerry, because if that was the case I would be jumping for joy at this moment. I am sure the Taoiseach is not going to give us all 60. On one final point, we need more general operatives on the ground.

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