Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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155. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in the context of a recent announcement, to extend the seasonal opening hours of a national park (details supplied).in County Mayo. [11067/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department is responsible for over 60,000 hectares of diverse landscape within our six National Parks and over 18,000 hectares within our statutory Nature Reserves. All of our National Parks are open to the public all year round.

It is estimated that over 2 million visitors visit our National Parks every year. Visitors can independently explore the parks, or do so as part of guided walks or take part in the many educational programmes run by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. To encourage and maximise use of these facilities, access is free of charge in all cases. Information on public access to the National Parks and Nature Reserves and their scientific significance can be found on my Department’s National Parks and Wildlife Service website at www.npws.ie.

Within the constraints imposed by current economic conditions, I am continuing to invest in visitor facilities in parks and nature reserves to maximise their sustainable use and enjoyment. To this end, and building on previous investment in this area, my Department is working on proposals to further develop facilities for visitors such as walking and cycling routes, enhanced signage and interpretation.

In terms of access to the visitor centre, as distinct from the National Park, at the location referred to by the Deputy, this aspect is contingent on available staffing levels and are the subject of ongoing consideration in light of the overall business needs and within the pay frameworks in place at the time. Any temporary posts that arise from time to time are advertised in the local media and/or my Department’s website at www.ahg.gov.ie/en/Heritage. While the visitor centre at this National Park is open on a seasonal basis from March to October, the mountain boardwalk and trails within the National Park are easily accessible over the winter months.

Our National Parks and Nature Reserves are there for all to enjoy and their locations around the country give everyone easy access to areas of unrivalled natural rugged beauty. It has been, and continues to be, my intention to facilitate, to the greatest extent possible, public access and appropriate visitor use in these parks and reserves. Such access and use must, of course, be consistent with the ethos of the National Parks as natural places of peace and tranquillity set in scenic landscapes, as well as being compatible with the conservation and biodiversity considerations that are of necessity associated with the management of heritage properties. For example, National Parks and Nature Reserves are largely covered by designations under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives and all activities within these sites must be consistent with the requirements of those Directives.