Dr. Andy Bleasdale:

I thank the Deputy for the well-posed question. It is a challenge. How does one manage our national parks? As I said, they are jewels in the crown, but they are all different from one another. They all have different starting points and perhaps end points as well. The Brú na Bóinne, or Boyne Valley, park is different from the others in many senses. I would not want to assume that we want to close the door on those sites and stop them being managed or even farmed. Farming actually supports the habitats for which they are selected. That is an important point as well. If we close the door on farming or stop management, they will revert to something else that they are not protected for legally under the habitats or birds directive. We need to ensure the site-specific conservation objectives that Ms Carberry mentioned are delivered, and that is the retention, through grazing in many cases, of some of these upland habitats.

Some parts of the Nephin landscape mentioned by the Deputy will be wilderness and do not need any intervention while other parts need ongoing management, be that drain blocking, rhododendron clearance, removal of conifers or the management of grazing.