Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)

Raising awareness is important. The role farmers play with our advisers is important, too. Positive, proactive measures can be taken to not only reduce the risk of wildfires, but also protect habitats and help farmers to farm in a more proactive way. Uplands and mountain grazing is an exceptionally important part of the agricultural landscape. It requires careful management to ensure the risk of wildfire and associated risks are reduced.

This is an opportune time for the Senator to raise the topic in the House in light of the forecasts of 27°C and 28°C we are potentially seeing for this weekend. In some ways, the work farmers could do during the winter in these spaces is important. They could plan that work out for next winter when they come out of the closed period after the end of August. That work could be planned to ensure risks were reduced for future years. Recent years have shown that Ireland is not immune to the high wildfire risks we see in Europe. We only have to look at Marseille in France last night where a significant wildfire closed the airport and had an impact.

In recent years, we have seen considerable damage caused to forestry, uplands and property due to wildfires. It can also have an impact on farmers’ direct payments and livelihoods. Preventative measures, such as controlled burning at the correct time, can assist to reduce vegetation burden. The prescribed code of practice is there. It is important to make farmers aware of that in the Senator’s area and the Comeragh Mountains because those alternative means of management should be explored. You plan them now for the off season and carry them out when it is not the closed season. Both landowners and any user of our upland areas need to take care, particularly during the periods of warm weather, to ensure the risk of wildfire is minimised for all of our sakes.