Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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16. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will report on the damage to protected European and national sites by this year's fires; and her views that changes need to be made to allow for more controlled burning during the year, to lessen the chances of large scale fires. [16823/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Some 14 per cent of the terrestrial area of the State is designated and this includes many extensive and inaccessible areas. Most land in special areas of conservation, special protection areas and natural heritage areas is in private ownership. My Department also manages a property portfolio in respect of national parks and reserves of approximately 79,000 hectares.

Recent weather conditions resulted in circumstances that made fires more likely to spread when they occurred. Because of the remote locations of much of the designated lands and the sporadic occurrence and dynamic nature of recent fires, it is difficult to accurately quantify the damage that has been caused to these protected habitats.

Officials from my Department work closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Garda Síochána, as appropriate, to investigate the causes of wild fires, such as those which have recently affected a number of designated sites and Killarney National Park. Where evidence is forthcoming, appropriate enforcement under the Wildlife Acts or other legislation is pursued. My Department has taken 11 successful prosecutions in recent years relating to individuals for breaches of section 40 of the Wildlife Acts for the burning of gorse and vegetation. Fines were imposed in all cases, ranging from €50 to €600. In some cases, the defendants were also ordered by the Court to pay legal costs and expenses. Members of An Garda Síochána are also authorised officers to prosecute breaches of the Wildlife Acts.

Under section 40 of the Acts, burning of vegetation on uncultivated land is prohibited without exception from 1 March to 31 August primarily as a means to protect nesting and breeding birds and prevent forest fires. I have established a Working Group to consider all submissions received during a recent consultation process in relation to the operation of section 40 and to report back to me with a range of proposals. Any changes to the closed period as provided for under section 40 would require amending legislation.