The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has today (Wednesday, March 1) reminded landowners that a ban on burning land and cutting hedges is now in place until September.
Under Section 40 of the Wildlife Act, the cutting, grubbing, burning or other destruction of “vegetation growing in any hedge or ditch” is illegal between March 1 to August 31, annually.
There are some exemptions to the ban, including trimming hedges “in the ordinary course of gardening”, the clearance of vegetation for road or construction works and cutting hedges to improve road safety.
Minister of State with responsibility for heritage Malcolm Noonan said that the ban is necessary as “nature is getting ready to spring into life all around us”.
“Over the next few weeks and months, some of our most familiar and beloved birds and mammals – many of which are endangered – will be busy trying to find a mate and nest and rear their young, and it’s essential that we give them the space and the time to have the best chance at breeding successfully.
“Many of our birds rely on our hedgerows and uplands to make their homes, hatch their young, provide food for those hungry mouths, and give them the shelter that keeps them safe from predators,” he said.
Burning
The minister said that in the last few days there have been “disturbing reports” of fires being deliberately lit around the country.
Local authorities confirmed to Agriland that fire crews in counties Cork and Kerry attended over 50 gorse fires in recent days.
“While legal, these fires damage nature, worsen air pollution, impact people’s health, degrade watercourses and threaten the safety of people and property.
“As of today, such fires are illegal, and those that intend to set them should be aware that all across the country, our National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has more rangers on the ground than ever before.
“We’re also using new technologies, including aerial monitoring, to protect nature against wildlife crime. Our first surveillance is in the air today, monitoring fires along the west coast and spreading south to Cork and Kerry with close surveillance on Killarney National Park,” Noonan said.
The minister said that his department is “taking wildlife crime extremely seriously”.
“32 prosecutions were secured in 2022, there have been two so far in 2023 and there are a further 60 cases on hand,” he said.
“This is in addition to consequences to landowners for eligibility under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) through cross-compliance with the Department for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
“We’re in a biodiversity crisis and we all have a part to play in making space for nature to survive and thrive.”
The NPWS is currently working to review, consolidate and modernise the Wildlife Act and the Birds and Habitats Regulations.
“These are multi-year projects, which will include public consultation, and both are at planning phase. The updates will be wide-ranging but will have a particular focus on deterrence and on improving the enforceability of wildlife laws,” Minister Noonan said.