The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has said it will be in contact with farmers whose land has been burned following fires in Co. Carlow.
Members of Carlow County Fire and Rescue Service have been tackling blazes in the Blackstairs Mountains since Sunday evening (April 21).
Fire fighters were called to three separate fires which were started at Seskinnamadra, Rathgeran and Nine Stones yesterday.
In a post on social media, Carlow County Fire and Rescue Service said that it had received multiple 999 calls in relation to the fires.
Bagenalstown Fire Brigade attended three series of fires on Mount Leinster in a 24-hour period alone.
The fires resulted in large volumes of smoke across the Rathanna and Ballymurphy areas.
Last night, Carlow County Fire and Rescue Service said that the road between Carroll’s Cross/Corrabut Gap and the Nine Stones had to be closed.
It said that the road, which has since reopened, became impassable “due to low visibility from smoke from wildfires”.
It is suspected that some of the fires may have been started deliberately but those responsible have not yet been identified.
DAFM
In a statement to Agriland, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) said that it “actively monitors for burning events”.
“Imagery analysis has specifically identified a burn event in the Blackstairs Mountains/Mount Leinster region in recent days,” it said.
Under Section 40 of the Wildlife Act growing vegetation cannot be burnt between March 1 and August 31 of any given year (known as the closed period), on any land not yet cultivated.
The department said that this is outlined in the terms and conditions for the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) scheme.
“Where land has been burned between March 1 and August 31, it is not in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation and therefore is not eligible for the remainder of the year.
“DAFM will in due course be in contact with farmers whose land has been burnt and where the land has been submitted for payment under the various area-based schemes operated by DAFM,” the department added.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has said that it is working closely with An Garda Síochána and the fire service following the “illegal and uncontrolled burning” in the Blackstairs Mountains.
A spokesperson for the NPWS told Agriland that they are “pursuing a line of enquiry” in relation to the fires.
Fires
The department of agriculture previously confirmed that 665 herds were associated with illegal burning in 2023.
DAFM said that these herds either had lands burnt in the closed period or at the correct time of year, but without the relevant consent.
According to a recent EU Commission report, 117 fires were mapped in Ireland in 2023, covering over 5,000ha, which is slightly above recent years.
Around 36% of the burnt area (1,850ha) was recorded in Natura 2000 sites.