Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for that response. As he will know, Green Party representatives are often the first port of call if something is happening that people identify within their environment that they have a problem with. The speed of reaction is so important because once the tree is cut down, the nest is lost or the hedge is grubbed out - that is it. It is a damage that cannot be undone. That speed and those boots on the ground that the Minister of State talks about are vitally important. I would have come across a number of particularly egregious acts in west Waterford but because there was an absence of a conservation ranger and because the county council is overstretched in this department, by the time there was an official State reaction the damage was done and it could not be undone or unpicked. I welcome this announcement of 60 rangers but I want clear details and timelines on when those posts will be filled.

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