To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what inter-agency approach is being taken to educate the public on the causes of wildfires and prevent similar events, such as the devastating Mournes wildfires, from re-occuring.

I refer the Honourable Member to my response for AQW 17967/17-22 which confirmed the clear actions already taken by my Department and other partners and those proposed for the future.

As I said in my statement to the Assembly on 26 April 2021 ‘partnership working is not an option but a requirement’. It was clearly demonstrated during the recent major incident in the Mourne Mountains that an inter-agency approach was the key to success. I am grateful to our wide range of partners for the dedication and professionalism they showed and the assistance they provided.

My Department will continue to inform the public about the dangers of wildfires and to work with other interested parties to eradicate this problem.