To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs whether he will implement an immediate ban on burning on peatland habitats to prevent further damage to these carbon stores and enhance efforts to restore peatlands to full health.

My Department is developing a Peatland Strategy for Northern Ireland, reflecting the commitments in the UK Peatland Strategy and New Decade, New Approach document and will provide a framework for conserving our intact peatlands and restoring degraded peatlands.

A key action within the draft Strategy is to “Publish a Position Statement on Upland Management, with accompanying new legislation if required”. This Position Statement will clarify my Department’s advice with regard to the use of prescribed burning as a management tool for peatlands in Northern Ireland.

Prescribed burning is a management tool (in addition to grazing, re-wetting and flailing) which can be used to manage vegetation on peatlands. Prescribed burning can damage habitats particularly if it gets out of control or is not implemented correctly.

The use of prescribed burning in managing vegetation in peatland habitats remains at the bottom of a hierarchy of upland management options, and is particularly unsuitable on blanket bog. It can, however, have a role as part of a targeted, strategic wildfire risk reduction approach. My Department is developing an agreed and co-ordinated approach among relevant stakeholders to the issue of wildfires in the uplands.