Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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377. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 183 of 7 March 2023, the area of land covered by gorse and heather and so on, that has been burned nationwide; how many tonnes of CO2 have been released into the atmosphere from the period, 1 September 2022 to 28 February 2023; if this CO2 is included in agricultural emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14455/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The burning of agricultural land, containing heather and gorse, is an issue that concerns several Government Departments and Agencies.

Section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976, as amended; specifies that the burning of vegetation growing on uncultivated land cannot be undertaken during the nesting and breeding season for birds and wildlife, from 1 March to 31 August. In addition, burning within 1 mile of a wood carries certain restrictions under section 39 of the Wildlife Act.  It is a function of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to secure the conservation of wildlife.

Activities requiring consent (ARCs) are specific activities which have the potential to damage a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) or Special Protection Area (SPA) collectively known as European sites.  SACs and SPAs are areas designated due to the presence of important habitats or species.  ARCs are not prohibited activities but before being carried out, consent must be granted by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage or by another relevant public authority to which the consent function for that activity falls. The burning of uncultivated lands is one such ARC which may apply to European sites which have been designated for habitats or species within certain broad habitat and species groups.

In terms of agricultural emissions, the EPA publishes estimates of greenhouse gas emissions associated with biomass burning annually in the National Inventory Report (NIR). The latest published NIR was submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in April 2022 for the years 1990-2020 and work is currently underway to finalise the 1990-2021 Inventory submission for April 2023. No data has yet been compiled for the reference period requested (1 September 2022 to 28 February 2023).  

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine does not currently have data relating to burning of gorse and heather in the period 1 September 2022 to 28 February 2023.  However, my Department is working with Government Agencies and other Government Departments to improve our understanding of this issue and the area impacted in this period.  This information will be collated in the coming weeks.