Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In Killarney National Park the Department continues to avail of the work of volunteer services. Four to eight volunteers are constantly available throughout the year to carry out work under the supervision and direction of regional staff. These are usually volunteers from universities abroad who carry out this work as a component of their university course.

In recent years, there has been a shift towards specialist companies for a number of reasons. In some cases the Rhododendron management takes place in remote places and it would not be appropriate for volunteers to go to these locations. In other cases, the use of contractors was considered to be the fastest, most efficient and most cost-effective method to undertake clearance work.

The working relationship between the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Groundwork came to an end - in so far as the on-site work camps are concerned - in 2009 when Groundwork declined to co-operate with the National Parks and Wildlife Service's prescribed Rhododendron management programme. I understand that Groundwork did not agree with the National Parks and Wildlife Service's prescribed methodologies. Groundwork wanted to continue with the use of massive and systematic work-throughs of woodlands with a large number of volunteers, as opposed to Killarney National Park's management methods involving stem treatments, including non-herbicidal methodologies.

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