Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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Mr. Ó Donnchú nicely and succinctly defined the National Parks and Wildlife Parks as "Ireland's nature agency". I welcome that short framing of the service.

When people hear the words "national parks" they think of areas that are managed for nature. They think of large swathes of protected lands where nature and biodiversity are managed, prioritised and protected. That is not the case. In Ireland, the term "national parks" covers a wide range of areas, from tourism and recreation to geographical structures. How are national parks defined in Ireland and are they protected by legislation?