Debate contribution: Sliabh Beagh: Protection from Fires and Environmental Damage

Debate contribution by Mr Andrew Muir on 23 September 2025.

MLA

Mr Andrew Muir

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

23 September 2025

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Adjournment

Heading

Sliabh Beagh: Protection from Fires and Environmental Damage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5129917

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. I thank Colm for bringing the Adjournment debate on what is a very important issue. We know, as has been referenced, that wildfires are, sadly, not unique to Northern Ireland. In the past year, we have seen wildfires across the UK, Ireland, Europe and beyond. Hotter, drier summers as a result of climate change are exacerbating the risks posed by wildfires in Northern Ireland. That is yet another reason why we cannot afford further dither and delay in climate action.

The devastating impact of wildfires on our communities and precious landscapes is too great.

Despite what some say, Northern Ireland is not immune to the impacts of climate change. It is essential that we redouble our efforts to tackle climate change for sake of the health and well-being of our communities and economy. To tackle wildfires head-on, a truly collaborative and collective approach is needed from government and stakeholders. DAERA cannot do this alone: it requires everyone to work together. A significant fire started on Sliabh Beagh on Wednesday 7 May of this year and was extinguished on Saturday 10 May. The fire was started deliberately at multiple locations across the site and impacted on nearly 8 square kilometres, making it the biggest fire recorded in Northern Ireland's history, ravaging what many would agree is the most beautiful and special part of Ireland. The fire affected approximately 90% of the ASSI protected zone. Northern Ireland Environment Agency wildfire all-terrain vehicles were deployed on day 1 and remained on site throughout the incident. I put on record my thanks to officials from the Environment Agency, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and everyone else. Minister Nesbitt and I met Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service personnel a while ago in Lisburn and gave our thanks to the staff for the work that they do to respond to such wildfires, not just in Sliabh Beagh but in many other places across Northern Ireland. In the case of Sliabh Beagh, there was excellent North/South cooperation. I thank my partners in the South for how they engaged and responded. The Police Service of Northern Ireland was in attendance and deployed its helicopter during part of the incident for vigilance. I encourage anyone with any information on the fire to report it to the police or to Crimestoppers. In the wake of this appalling act, I warmly welcome the enthusiasm shown by local stakeholders to come up with potential solutions to help support recovery and prevent the number and severity of future fires. A conservation management plan was previously prepared for the Sliabh Beagh special area of conservation as part of the Collaborative Action for the Natura Network INTERREG project. The Peat+ project, led by Ulster Wildlife, was recently successful in PEACE PLUS funding, has won awards for biodiversity, nature recovery and resilience and includes conservation initiatives to boost wildfire management planning and habitat works in the area. I really welcome that. We cannot, however, talk about Sliabh Beagh without referencing the wider context and challenges of wildfires in Northern Ireland. I am committed to playing my part, and I am glad to confirm that the new wildfires strategic framework was recently agreed by the Executive. It will be launched soon, once we get all government agencies and relevant stakeholders together to launch the plan and work in collaboration to deliver the action plan that will arise from it. Future wildfire efforts from all stakeholders will be focused on the objectives of prevention, preparedness, response, recovery and enforcement. Publication of the strategic framework will enable the development of a focused and detailed wildfire action plan. We must agree that together. The action plan will therefore be co-designed to align with and ensure delivery of the strategic objectives within the wildfire strategic framework. I am keen to see all stakeholders, including those at Sliabh Beagh, come together and engage in this process to design and implement the action plan. Key action from the strategic framework should be to enhance public knowledge of the risks that wildfires pose, in particular to public health. Hopefully, if people are aware of those risks, they will think twice before starting a fire. Another action must be the development and implementation of wildfire management and response plans in high-risk areas. The management plans will aim to make the landscape more resilient to large-scale wildfires, and the response plans will facilitate efficient responses to incidents. Land management is absolutely key to creating more resilient landscapes. Examples of that are the intrinsic links between climate change, biodiversity decline and water quality. Peatland restoration is a great example of a key intervention that delivers win-win outcomes for society. Re-wetting peatland reduces fire risk, while creating important habitats to support nature recovery; acts as a carbon sink, reducing our emissions; and provides natural filtration of water to improve our waterways. That is why the publication of Northern Ireland's first peatland strategy is such a game changer. We launched it last week. It is on the DAERA website, and we encourage people to have a look. Our efforts to incentivise nature-friendly farming through the Farming with Nature initiative is another example of win-win land management policy. Supporting farmers to better manage existing habitats and introduce new habitats for nature recovery, again, has knock-on positive benefits for water, climate and increasing resilience to wildfires. That combination of measures should hopefully reduce the extent and severity of wildfires, should they occur. When we talk about wildfires, we need to be conscious that so many are deliberately set. I have no hesitation in calling them what they are: acts of rural arson. We need to call time on it. It is wrong. Deliberately and maliciously setting fires destroys our environment, takes firefighters and other resources away and puts homes and lives at risk. Moreover, people who set such fires are not being held to account. That needs to end. Those who are shielding the culprits need to come forward, ring the police or Crimestoppers, tell us who did it and be prepared to give evidence in court. I ask this of everyone: if you are aware of anyone who has been involved in deliberately and maliciously setting fires in our countryside, come forward before someone is killed or seriously injured. I thank those involved in the community effort in response to the devastating incident that occurred at Sliabh Beagh. I express my commitment to work collectively with my Executive colleagues and stakeholders to shape a way forward in delivering the strategic framework for wildfires. We hope to launch that framework soon. I want to get people together and brief them on it. If we work collaboratively on the issue, we can turn a corner on it.

1,124 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:11 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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