A DECISION by Stormont finance minister Conor Murphy to invite local MLAs to future meetings to discuss a comprehensive recovery plan for over 900 acres of land ravaged by the wildfire in the Mournes at the end of April has been welcomed by a local politician.
Colin McGrath and the constituency’s other four MLAs were not at a meeting at the Burrendale Hotel last month when three leading government departments weighed in with their support for a major recovery plan to regenerate a huge swathe of land devastated by the blaze that was started maliciously.
The ferocious fire — in an area of outstanding natural beauty — could be seen for up to 20 miles away, with the damage it caused expected to take years to recover.
Started at a walkway at the Bloody Bridge, the out-of-control blaze spread rapidly due to tinder dry conditions and wind, burning everything in its path and leaving a trail of environmental destruction in its wake.
During the special meeting in Newcastle towards the end of June, the Northern Ireland Executive’s departments of finance, agriculture, environment and rural affairs and infrastructure, agreed to take forward an eagerly-awaited Mournes recovery plan with a commitment to make much-needed finance immediately available.
Ministers Conor Murphy, Edwin Poots and Nichola Mallon pledged to continue working together to restore and enhance the resilience of the area after the fire caused significant damage.
In the short term, the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is considering the funding required for immediate remedial work following the fire, while the Department of Finance will take the lead on an action plan for the Mournes over the long term. This plan will be finalised in the autumn.
Mr Murphy — who chaired the recent meeting – arranged it after seeing at first-hand the devastating impact caused by the recent fire and said he is “determined that we do all we can, not just to aid recovery in the short-term, but also to develop this area of outstanding natural beauty into the future.”
The finance minister confirmed that the DAERA minister is ensuring that the immediate funding needs, relevant to his Department are met, while he will work with local groups to develop a long-term plan for this much-loved area.
Mr Poots said wildfires are a threat to people, property, wildlife and the countryside and efforts to fight them are a drain on the public purse, while Mrs Mallon welcomed the collaborative approach being taken across government and with key stakeholders to ensure the protection of the Mournes which she described as a “unique area which offers so many leisure, tourism, environmental and economic benefits.”
Mr McGrath said he is pleased with the “ministerial U-turn” which will ensure that South Down MLAs are invited to future meetings dealing with the Mournes fire.
“I was quite surprised following the recent ministerial meeting in the Burrendale hotel that constituency MLAs had not been invited or notified that it was even taking place,” he continued.
“I tabled a series of questions to the relevant ministers to enquire as to who had been invited to this meeting and why MLAs were not.”
Mr McGrath said he subsequently discovered that all NI Executive Ministers were invited to attend, although only some chose to be in Newcastle where they were joined by a wide range of stakeholders including representatives from Newry, Mourne and Down Council and Chris Hazzard MP.
“It beggars belief that constituency MLAs were not notified of this meeting,” said Mr McGrath. “It is constituency MLAs who are often the buffer zone between government and the public.
“We have spent years establishing trust and strong relationships with the local community and we need to be included in these discussions.
“To exclude constituency MLAs is to exclude the very members of the public who elect us and who are most impacted by these wildfires. This is not unacceptable.”
Mr McGrath said he conveyed this message to the finance minister and is pleased that Mr Murphy
“has seen sense” and responded to say that South Down MLAs will be invited to future meetings on the Mournes.
He added: “I am willing to work with all political parties in achieving the Mournes recovery and restoration, but what I will not accept is when the voice of the public is excluded. Fortunately, common sense has prevailed.”