Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland in reaction to a number of fires in Kerry, Cork, Westmeath, Brannigan said that most of the fires had been accidentally started with people discarding glass or disposable barbeque sets not being extinguished and discarded properly.

Fire crews from across Carlow battled overnight gorse fires along the Blackstairs Mountains for the fourth time in the past week

Fire crews from across Carlow and Kilkenny were called out to deal with extensive gorse fires on the Blackstairs Mountains overnight

The number of callouts dropped from 63 incidents on the same night in 2024.

Chimneys, flues, hot ashes and soot were the top causes of fires recorded last year

The most significant blaze took hold in the Hilltown area of Co Down on Saturday.

People have been asked to avoid the area.