Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I call on the Leader to request the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Deenihan, to extend the cut off time of 28 February in respect of the burning of scrub on the uplands. As the past year has been very wet farmers on the uplands have not had an opportunity to burn scrubs. The cut off date in Northern Ireland is 15 April. As a result of the cut off date here farmers in the Cooley peninsula will from this Friday be unable to burn scrubs while their colleagues on the Mourne Mountains continue to do so. The UK is ahead of the posse environmentally. The cut off date in Scotland is 30 April, with room for extension. I believe that at least an extension here should be provided this year. Apart from the dangers involved, including the burning on the mountain of scrubs by vandals and so on, which has happened previously in Donegal and other places, the over-grown vegetation creates problems for sheep grazing and grass population as the woody old heather is indigestible.

It is urgent because the time is up tomorrow. We must get a response from the Minister before then.