Wildlife Trust lobbies Galway politicians to take action on wildfires

Galway Bay fm newsroom - The Irish Wildlife Trust is urging people affected by wild fires across Galway to contact their local politicians to express their frustration

The organisation says that since the beginning of the year, it has documented 57 fires across Ireland with 26 of these in areas designated for nature conservation.

Farmers with burnt land are ineligible for the single farm payment.

However following a Freedom of Information request, the IWT learned that no farmer was penalised in 2016 under the so-call ‘cross compliance’ rules.

Padraic Fogarty, Campaigns Officer for the Irish Wildlife Trust says that greater prosecution is needed in cases of illegal burning.