Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Statement from Minister O’Sullivan on fire threatening Killarney National Park

Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD, said:

“The devastating fire in Killarney National Park is not a natural disaster – it is caused by human activity, not nature.


“For days, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has been battling fires,

including incidents believed to have been started by the reckless use of disposable barbecues. This is utterly unacceptable.


“Lighting fires or using disposable barbecues in a National Park or any wild area is not carelessness, it is gross irresponsibility – especially during a heatwave. It is a crime against nature, against local communities and against future generations who have the right to inherit these precious landscapes intact.


“The message is simple: leave these places as you found them or better, and leave no trace. As Minister for Nature, I take a zero-tolerance attitude towards lighting fires in our national parks and wild places. The damage to biodiversity, wildlife, livelihoods and public safety can be – and too often is – catastrophic.


“My heartfelt thanks go to the NPWS staff, firefighters and emergency services who have worked tirelessly, often in extremely difficult conditions, to contain this fire and protect one of Ireland’s greatest natural assets.”

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