Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Noonan.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming here directly. He is very conscious and proud of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, as am I, and I thank him for taking time out of his busy schedule to deal with this matter.

I want to put a few points about the National Parks and Wildlife Service on the public record. I believe that it is always important to set the scene for the people looking in at these proceedings because when we are in here, we sometimes talk in a bubble. The role of the National Parks and Wildlife Service is to secure the conservation of a representative range of ecosystems, and to maintain and enhance the populations of flora and fauna in Ireland.According to the NPWS website, it is also "to designate and advise on the protection of habitats and species identified for nature conservation", including natural heritage areas, special areas of conservation and special protection areas, "having particular regard to the need to consult with interested parties". It is also responsible for making "the necessary arrangements for the implementation of National and EU legislation and policies for nature conservation and biodiversity including the EU Habitats and Birds Directives, and for the ratification and implementation of the range of international Conventions and Agreements relating to the natural heritage." Its role is also to "manage, maintain and develop State-owned National Parks and Nature Reserves" and "promote awareness of natural heritage and biodiversity issues through education, outreach to schools and engaging with stakeholders". I have set out that framework. I am sure the Minister of State knows it well. As I said at the outset, he is very proud of the NPWS. I, too, am very proud of it. It is an extraordinary organisation.

However, I am also conscious that it needs resources and practical support. It has a huge role in education. I did not touch on the point to any great extent, but the organisation does amazing work with schools in outreach and education. I want to acknowledge that important work. An article was published in The Sunday Timeson 13 December 2021. I do not believe everything I read in every newspaper, but I will quote from the article. It states: "An unpublished government report on the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has found it is unable to fulfil its current obligations due to limited resources and 'major' structural problems." It continues: "The highly critical report was commissioned by Malcolm Noonan, the Green party minister for heritage, under a commitment in the programme for government to review the nature protection agency’s remit, status and funding to ensure it was playing an 'effective role'." The Government made a commitment to review the agency's remit. That is fantastic. The article suggests that there are serious issues regarding funding and the agency's capacity to carry out its functions and work. I will not mention the names of people who may or may not be on the committee, because that is hearsay. I am not privy to that information.

In essence, what I am saying is that it is in our interest that we have a good, well-resourced NPWS. I know the Minister of State is committed to that.However, when members of the public read articles such as those published inThe Sunday Times, they are concerned. I understand that a 114-page report is sitting on the Minister of State's desk. It has been suggested to me that it makes certain recommendations and sets alarm bells ringing regarding a number of issues I have raised. Perhaps the Minister of State can touch on some of the contents of the report, if it is appropriate to do so. However, there is no pressure, because there are processes and consultations that the Minister of State has to go through. I fully understand and respect that. Perhaps sometime in the future the Minister of State can bring that report, or the key recommendations from it, to us. I ask the Minister of State to respond to some of the issues that I have raised.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I thank the Senator for raising this Commencement matter. I will try to outline the trajectory in terms of the report referenced in The Sunday Timesand where it fits into the bigger piece of work that we have been doing over the last number of months. My portfolio as Minister of State with responsibility for heritage and electoral reform is an expansive one. The top priority for me on becoming Minister of State was to restore heritage funding, placing nature, heritage and biodiversity at the heart of what this Government does well, taking a whole-of-government approach.

As the Senator has outlined, the NPWS is a crucial and important service that is mandated with the protection, conservation and presentation of our natural heritage, including the variety of birds, mammals, invertebrates, fungi and plants that combine in the dynamic ecosystems that give us vital services that society and the economy depend on, such as soil fertility, water purification, carbon sequestration and storage, and of course, that sense of peace and wonder that so many of us enjoy when we experience nature. In 2019, we learned that globally many of our protected habitats were of poor or inadequate status and that almost half were declining. That same year, the Dáil declared a climate and biodiversity emergency. At that time NPWS resourcing was not sufficient to address the challenge that lay ahead with the level of urgency that was required.

I determined that a hallmark of my tenure as Minister of State would be to leave a positive legacy for biodiversity in Ireland, to deliver on the Government's unprecedented ambition for nature and respond comprehensively to the programme for Government commitment to strengthen the NPWS, improve its effectiveness and make it the voice for nature that we need it to be. The primary determinant in all of that is resourcing. I secured additional moneys in the 2020 July stimulus, significantly increased NPWS funding by almost 50% in budget 2021, and in October 2021 as part of the budget, I announced that NPWS funding would increase yet again to over €47 million in 2022, a total increase of 64% since I became Minister of State. That brought it back up to pre-financial crisis levels in terms of staffing and resources.

The funding secured in successive Estimates also enabled my Department to bring approved staffing at the NPWS back to its pre-2008 levels. This has led to the establishment of a new team which will focus on the protection of our special areas of conservation and special protection areas, a wildlife crime unit, a substantial cohort of new conservation rangers, as well as the recruitment of ecological and scientific expertise, field staff, guides and administrative staff. These are major achievements that are already having positive impacts. I believe that realising the totality of our shared vision for the National Parks and Wildlife Service requires further transformative action that acknowledges the past, reflects the present and renews for the future. In that regard, I am now leading on a comprehensive phased process, Review, Reflect, Renew: A Strategic Action Plan for the Future of the NPWS.

Preliminary to all of this - and as a recurring underpinning - is addressing the resourcing challenge. The orientation or stakeholder engagement part of this review process commenced in February 2021 under the direction of Professor Jane Stout and Dr. Micheal O'Cinneide. They are the authors of the report to which the Senator referred. These independent reviewers heard from over 3,000 people and groups, providing an external perspective on some specific aspects of the NPWS, and conducting an analysis of comparable organisations across Europe in order to inform a suite of recommendations. The ongoing reflect phase, led by Mr. Gerry Kearney, takes account of the outcome of the Stout and O'Cinneide work. It will synthesise the resourcing gains of the past 18 months with a detailed, expert analysis of governance, organisational structures, communications, data systems and future resourcing, and outline the NPWS's specific requirements across those areas. The final renew phase will detail the objectives and prioritised actions that will equip the NPWS to deliver on the ambitious goals, objectives and targets emerging from our programme for Government, the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, Heritage Ireland 2030 and the new national biodiversity action plan, and to be the respected voice for nature that so many have called for.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I will be brief. I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response, which I will consider later. What jumps off the page, and what I want to congratulate the Minister of State on, is the 64% increase in funding for the NPWS since he became Minister of State, and his absolute commitment to keep the NPWS focused. I am also particularly interested to learn today, because it is news to me, of the establishment of the wildlife crime unit, a cohort of new conservation rangers and the recruitment of ecological and scientific experts, field staff and additional administrative staff. That is really positive.

I note the Minister of State's commitment in terms of the review, reflect, renew strategic action plan. That is also welcome. It is very positive to hear that the Minister of State is working closely with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and his colleagues and that we will have the strategic action plan for the future of the NPWS. I thank the Minister of State for that and for his stewardship and ongoing engagement. It is great when one has a personal interest and a hobby as well as a political vision and mission. I wish the Minister of State well and thank him.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I thank the Senator for such positive comments. As I said, it our intention to try and get the strategic plan for the future of the NPWS to Cabinet towards the middle or end of February. We know it has been an expansive piece of work. It has taken us longer than expected, but I think it will be worth it.

I wish to reiterate the comments the Senator made about the NPWS as an organisation. Since I was appointed, I have visited all of our national parks. It is down to the general operatives; the district conservation officers. The teams on the ground are made up of phenomenal people who are doing incredible work. They have carried this work out through Covid because our parks and nature reserves have been open during that time.

The resourcing element that the Senator spoke about is important. I do not think it is enough; it needs to go further. We have a huge ambition for nature over the next decade and beyond. In that regard, I am encouraged by the work we have done to date. I am thankful to people for their patience, because I know it has taken longer than expected. I am also very grateful to the Senator for raising this Commencement matter. It is important to outline the timeline for this work and how it moves forward. When we deliver the plan to Cabinet, the next phase will be the serious phase around its implementation. It will require additional resources and a collective effort across government. I thank the Senator for raising the matter.

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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That was a most interesting discussion. I thank the Minister of State and the Senator. I also wish to thank the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, and the other Senators involved in the Commencement matters. As always, I thank the staff.