The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) will have aerial surveillance in place from Wednesday 1 March to monitor any illegal burning of land, the Department of Housing has said.

The first surveillance in the air on Wednesday is monitoring fires along the west coast and spreading south to Cork and Kerry with close surveillance on Killarney National Park.

This aerial surveillance will continue to run with increasing regularity over the coming months, the Department said.

As well this year, the department added that there will be more rangers on the ground than ever before monitoring wildlife crime.

Speaking about the burning of land, Minister for Housing and Green Party TD Malcom Noonan said that while legal before 1 March, these fires damage nature, worsen air pollution, impact people’s health, degrade watercourses and threaten the safety of people and property.

Prosecutions

Some 32 prosecutions were secured in 2022 for wildlife crime according to the Minster and there have been two so far in 2023 with a further 60 cases on hand.

“This is in addition to consequences to landowners for eligibility under the Basic Payment Scheme through cross-compliance with the Department for Agriculture.

"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," he said.

These birds, he said, may live here year-round or cross the world to breed here as summer migrants.

“We're in a biodiversity crisis and we all have a part to play in making space for nature to survive and thrive. I’m appealing to everyone to do your bit and play your part to help us protect our precious hedgerow and upland habitats, which provide such important refuge for nature at this crucial time of year,” he said.

The Minister has also urged the public to report suspected hedge-cutting or burning offences to their local NPWS or Garda station, and report fires immediately to the Fire and Emergency Services on 112 or 999.