Minister of State with responsibility for forestry, Michael Healy-Rae, has met with a delegation of farmers from Co. Roscommon on the aftermath of forest fires in their area earlier in the year.

The minister met with the delegation from Gortaganny, in the west of of the county near the border with Co. Mayo, to discuss the serious impact of recent forest fires and bog fires there.

The meeting was organised after representation was made to the minister from Fine Gael Senator Gareth Scahill, who is from west Co. Roscommon, and Fianna Fáil TD for Roscommon-Galway Martin Daly.

The delegation told the minister that their area had seen "severe damage" resulting from the spring 2025 fire season, with over 500ha in Gortaganny alone affected.

Key concerns raised included damage to turf banks, family farms, fencing, forestry investments, and risks to homes and wildlife in and around special areas of conservation (SACs).

In a statement after the meeting, Minister Healy-Rae said that he "expressed his full appreciation" of the challenges being faced locally.

The minister said that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine would continue to "engage closely" with the impacted landowners.

He also told the delegation that district inspectors would be deployed to assess the damage on the ground.

Minister Healy-Rae said: "This is a very serious situation that has impacted people’s land, livelihoods and long-term environmental assets.

"We have to learn lessons from this and take every step to ensure proper support, co-ordination and prevention going forward. [The] department will continue to engage constructively and I've asked our local forestry teams to prioritise inspections in the area," the minister added.

Speaking last month, Senator Gareth Scahill said: "There are a number of landowners down there now who have lost significantly in relation to forestry and in relation to pension opportunities that they had; some farmers up to €100,000 in damages."

He was reacting to a wild fire that occurred at the time around the Gortaganny area of west Roscommon.

Fire crews from Roscommon, with support from fire crews in neighbouring Mayo and an air support helicopter, tackled the blaze for 36 hours in the townlands of Gortaganny, Granlahan, and surrounding areas.

It is understood that thousands of hectares of forestry and bog were destroyed as a result.