Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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332. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the investigation into the death of 23 buzzards in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28216/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Officials of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department are actively continuing with their criminal investigations into this concerning and very serious incident. There are no further updates since the matter was last raised in the House.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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333. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of illegal burns that have occurred to date in 2020 on land owned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28217/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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To date in 2020, two of the six National Parks were affected by significant illegal fires. These were Killarney National Parkand Wicklow Mountains National Park. Significant environmental damage is caused by wildfires and the setting of such fires is particularly irresponsible during 2020 as it creates an unnecessary draw on our emergency services.

While the primary responsibility in terms of fire fighting lies with the Fire Service National Parks and Wildlife officials staff remain on high alert when conditions exist that might result in fires in the National Parks. There have been 9 significant fires in total; 1 within Killarney National Park (on the 29^thof March), and 8 in Wicklow Mountains National Park. There were also 4 small illegal fires in Wild Nephin National Park during April and May which were brought under control by local NPWS staff without the need to involve the fire service. In addition, there have been a number of smaller fires in our sites and also outside the boundaries of our properties where NPWS staff have assisted the emergency services.