Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The question has been put to Mr. Doyle around his own salary but the question I would ask is around the salaries being offered, particularly to rangers. I want to talk about both recruitment and retention. These are often very highly qualified people. I know the starting salaries are in or around €35,000. Those boots on the ground are absolutely critical. I have submitted a number of parliamentary questions around where we have deficiencies in terms of the rangers and I get back this answer that it is for operational reasons. I understand the rationale behind that but from talking to people, I could identify on a map of Ireland where it is we are short of rangers. Those boots on the ground are absolutely critical. I ask about recruitment and retention particularly with regard to that. The strategic action plan for the NPWS committed to 60 additional staff members as a priority as well as that increasing number of conservation rangers. Where are we specifically regarding those conservation rangers?