Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan TD has supported a full investigation by gardaí into the causes of the major fire at Curraghline Bog which broke out this week.
The fire began on Wednesday afternoon, causing sections of the Headford Rd to be closed to road users yesterday.
Minister Noonan said that he has immediately tasked National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) staff to work with the Gardaí in its investigation of the cause of the blaze.
He said that these fires don’t start by themselves and are often more man-made fires than “wildfires”.
The Heritage Minister said the NPWS takes these matters very seriously and in recent weeks announced increased surveillance using drones and helicopters on key natural heritage sites and Ireland’s National Parks.
“This Galway fire is devastating news for all involved in conservation efforts to save the Curlew, particularly those invested in the Curlew EIP project at Curraghline,” said Minister Noonan.
He said that a thorough investigation would need to be carried out and he thanked fire and emergency services of Galway County Council and NPWS staff who attended the scene to bring the fire under control.
“This is a particularly dangerous time of year for fires in our natural heritage areas and we urge the public to report suspicious activity and to be vigilant themselves while using our National Parks and nature reserves.
“We are in the depths of a biodiversity emergency and cannot afford to lose any more habitats to fire.”
