Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State and I appreciate his commentary. The NPWS needs to be properly resourced and I would like to see a review of its functions and roles. This needs to happen because it needs to have a bit more clout. An issue about which I have spoken to the Minister, on a personal basis and in the Dáil, is the need for a specific wildlife crime investigation unit as a dedicated section in An Garda Síochána. This needs to happen. Recently, I spoke about the massacre of 23 common buzzards in my constituency of Cork South-West.

It was needless. No prosecutions have been brought so far, and I understand we are getting no closer to bringing any. Now more than ever we need a dedicated wildlife crime investigation unit because all of the fantastic work and citizen science we are doing, as well as the recreation of biodiversity, is worth nothing unless we can stamp out wildlife crimes.

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