Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 46 together.

Given the enforcement role of certain staff in the NPWS and for reasons of operational security, the Department cannot provide details of staffing in the manner requested and I hope the Deputy will appreciate that.

My Department's workforce planning process does not identify vacancies per se across different work sectors, whether arising from retirement or other factors but seeks to identify gaps in service delivery that can be addressed on a priority basis in light of available resources. Staffing levels across the Department, including conservation rangers, are kept under regular review in line with emerging business needs and Government policy on public sector pay and staffing, as advised by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

I have previously confirmed that the filling of up to 60 conservation ranger posts, announced by the Minister in Killarney National Park a number of weeks ago, is a priority for the Department within the requirements of the policy on public sector pay and staffing. A national recruitment process for conservation rangers was advertised late last year and is being managed by the Public Appointments Service, PAS. The process is at an advanced stage, with a panel of successful candidates now in place and the first 20 currently being assigned to locations around Ireland, including Waterford.

Front-line conservation rangers are deployed through a regional structure and assignments are determined in light of departmental business needs and priorities. A calibrated proportion of the expansion of the ranger cohort will be assigned to the Waterford area and similarly across the country. While it is too early to be specific as to the exact number of additional rangers to be assigned to the Waterford area, the proportion of rangers will be pitched at a level to meet local conservation needs and will be based on the outcome of the recruitment process.

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