Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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932. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to fill the vacant positions within the NPWS. [27152/17]

Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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933. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of rangers in the employment of the NPWS prior to 2008; and the number of rangers in the employment of the NPWS in 2017. [27153/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 932 and 933 together.

I am advised that, at the establishment of my Department, in 2011, there were 85 Conservation Rangers employed across the country. There are currently 62 Conservation Rangers employed in the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, over the course of the period, June 2011 to end December 2014, like many other Departments, my Department was required to reduce workforce numbers under the Employment Control Framework limits set by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

I am pleased to note however that with the recovery of the economy there has been significant recruitment in the National Park and Wildlife Service of my Department in recent months. A recruitment campaign is currently underway to fill posts at Killarney House which will officially open to the public on 3rd July. Permanent General Operative posts have been filled in Connemara National Park and Glengarriff Nature Reserve, while three permanent posts have been filled in Killarney National Park. The Department has also filled 60 seasonal posts nationwide to cover the busy tourist season. Further permanent and temporary posts will be filled in the coming weeks. In addition, the Department is currently engaged with the Public Appointments Service (PAS) in recruiting Conservation Rangers. It is expected that eight conservation rangers will start in the coming weeks.

Staffing levels across the Department will continue to be kept under regular review in line with emerging business needs and having regard to Government policy on public sector pay and staffing as advised by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.