Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First, I thank Deputy Whitmore for raising the issue of the National Parks and Wildlife Service. We came into government and put into the programme for Government that we were determined to change and enhance substantially the resourcing for the National Parks and Wildlife Service. In opposition, I engaged on this issue with interested groups. The Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, has secured additional moneys already in the 2020 July stimulus without having to await the review, and he significantly increased NPWS funding by almost 50% in budget 2021. I want to make that point. In October the Minister of State announced that funding would increase again to more than €47 million in 2022, bringing it back to a level not seen since before the financial crisis. There has been very good work done very quickly to resource the NPWS.

Review, Reflect, Renew is a strategic action plan for the future of the NPWS . The review part has been done, the reflect part is under way, as I understand it, and the renew part will follow. Some people put things together in a certain way. Suffice to say it will be published. It is not complete in terms of all three phases, but a lot is being done. Some 3,000 people were consulted, which is fantastic. Ultimately, what will happen is that Review, Reflect, Renew: A Strategic Action Plan for the Future of NPWS will equip-----

See this speech in context