Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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109. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide a breakdown of the staff complement of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, excluding personal details; the total number of staff; if she will provide a breakdown of positions held and area of expertise; and the level of qualification in relation to the role held. [32419/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I am advised that the total number of staff currently working in the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is 283. In addition, my Department recruits a number of seasonal staff each year to meet demand during the busy tourist season at the National Parks. A number of fixed-term contract workers are also employed by my Department at present on two EU LIFE projects - the restoration of Active Raised Bogs and the Kerry LIFE project.

I am advised that all personnel in scientific and technical posts in NPWS meet the requisite qualifications for those posts, and indeed many have acquired additional professional skills and accreditations, both before and since being recruited by my Department. My Department actively supports staff seeking to engage in appropriate further educational and training opportunities and encourages this through its learning and development programme.

The table below outlines a breakdown of the 283 NPWS staff referred to above.