The cost of fighting last year’s fires as well as the loss of standing timber is expected to be significant and the process in doing so is ongoing, a spokesperson for Coillte has said.

In 2017, 85 separate fire events were recorded by Coillte with over 1,700ha of forestry and 2,000 hectares of bog land, on Coillte property, affected.

The largest and most dangerous of these incidents was the forest fire at Cloosh Valley, County Galway.

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The spokesperson said: “To estimate the full cost of the fires, Coillte are engaged in an ongoing process to evaluate the additional cost of forests and habitat regeneration.

“This process is very challenging as significant work is required to remove burnt material and prepare the lands for reforestation.

“Most areas will be fully replanted while others may be converted to biodiversity and nature conservation areas with the agreement of the Forest Service,” the spokesperson said.

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