Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will raise one simple issue. As the weather gets a little finer and our lands dry up, each year we seem to have a increasing cases of wildfires and forest fires. I would like the relevant Department to start an early awareness campaign on this. I warmly welcome the statement from the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Noonan, in which he knocked the fact that Irish farmers are often hammered online for being the cause of these fires. While I do not want to get into the blame game, farmers are the big losers through the loss of acres of forestry, animals and biodiversity. In addition, in the year following a fire, if it is proved their land has been burned, even by a fire they did not start, farmers will lose payments from their schemes. While I am not getting into a blame game, this is important.

Our firefighters and first responders are the people who will be most at risk. It is the first year in three where Irish people will get out to enjoy their countryside, and have their barbecues, parties and so on, but we need awareness and people need to be very conscious of the situation. Without getting into a debate about climate change, we seem to have a drier, harsher wind blowing. Ground conditions are much drier at present and fires will start much more easily. As I said, the big losers are not only farmers but the people putting their lives at risk when such fires start. We are losing an enormous amount of biodiversity every year, including forestry and animals. Accidents will happen but awareness can prevent many of them. It is vitally important the campaign starts early and people are made aware that while they are welcome in rural Ireland, and we hope they can enjoy a good summer from a climate point of view, they should be careful and please try to avoid the dangers that go with fires that are started inadvertently.