To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to outline any work his Department is undertaking to prepare for outbreaks of wildfires in the Mournes.

Mr Muir

The work being undertaken to prepare for future wildfire seasons includes a range of actions. A wildfire action plan is being developed to accompany the 'Wildfires in Northern Ireland: Strategic Framework 2025-2030'. The action plan is being developed through the strategic wildfire group and the Northern Ireland wildfire stakeholders forum. It will contain time-bound actions for each of the 35 key areas of development identified in the strategic framework. The actions will be delivered collectively across a range of wildfire stakeholders. The action plan should be finalised in the next period of weeks, with some of its actions already being progressed. For example, my Department has awarded a multi-year contract to develop wildfire management plans and response plans for designated sites in the Mournes, Antrim hills and Carn/Glenshane. Through funding streams such as PEACE PLUS, several other wildfire management plans are also in development, including one at Slieve Beagh. Northern Ireland Water is reviewing mitigations and restoration measures for the Silent Valley catchment. In preparation for the current wildfire season, the following works have been undertaken: Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) held a stakeholder familiarisation event during November 2025; the Fire and Rescue Service and Forest Service had a pre-wildfire season meeting on Friday 6 March 2026; the Northern Ireland Environment Agency's (NIEA) all-terrain vehicles have been repaired or scheduled for service in the period ahead to ensure that they are available for wildfire incidents in 2026; pre-fire season communications are in development; and restoration works such as those in the Mournes continue to be supported.

Mr Muir

My Department has appointed a consortium of international wildfire experts, led by the Pau Costa Foundation, to deliver a suite of wildfire mitigation work across Northern Ireland. The multi-year project primarily seeks to identify the wildfire risk and develop wildfire management recommendations and response plans for three designated landscapes: the eastern Mourne area of special scientific interest (ASSI) and special area of conservation (SAC); the Antrim Hills special protection area (SPA); and the Carn/Glenshane SAC. The project will engage local landowners and wildfire stakeholders to help gather evidence on the mitigation measures that need to be developed. I encourage all those who are approached by the project team to participate. In addition to that, it is important that I emphasise the messages that my Department has previously communicated about what is and is not appropriate in the countryside. I continue to urge those who have been maliciously and deliberately lighting wildfires to stop. No one should start a fire in the countryside unless it is part of a specific, planned and properly managed land management practice.

Ms Finnegan

Does the Minister agree that sheep and cattle can play a key role in helping manage vegetation, particularly in upland areas, to prevent the outbreak of wildfires?

Mr Muir

Yes, I do. Our farming community can play a fantastic role in that through better upland management. That is why we continue to roll out Farming with Nature. This year, we will expand the current transition scheme and provide additional measures that will be based on priority habitats and species. We will also issue a call for projects to deliver improved environmental outcomes through landscape-scale collaboration. Farming with Nature is a key component of our wildfire management, and it is important that, as a Department, we work with stakeholders to see that rolled out.

Ms Forsythe

Having grown up in the Mournes, I have seen such fires a lot more often than I would like. In response to last year's fires, the deputy First Minister was down with me, and we had a lot of engagement with those on the ground who were responding to the fires. One of the key respondents was Sky Watch Northern Ireland, which has fantastic off-road equipment and drones that it can use to view thermal imaging from the skies to assist the response. Minister, have you had engagement with Sky Watch NI or been able to support it in the work that it does as it plays a valuable role in responding to the wildfires?

Mr Muir

Thank you. The issue that the Member has outlined properly sits with the Department of Health, because the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service sits in that Department. However, I say, "Thank you" to the range of stakeholders that work with us on the issue. Their contributions are invaluable. Stakeholder engagement is the basis of our wildfire interventions. The weather has improved in recent days. That is good to see, particularly after the wet weather that our farmers have had to endure. My concerns now turn to wildfires. It is important that I reiterate the messages on appropriate behaviour in the countryside so that we do not see the scenes occurring this year that we saw last year.

Mr Speaker

Ms Mulholland is not in her place, and Miss McAllister is not in her place.