Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future, sets out a commitment to “review the remit, status and funding of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), to ensure that it is playing an effective role in delivering its overall mandate and enforcement role in the protection of wildlife”.

In March 2021 my Department launched a public consultation with a number of stakeholders as part of the Review of the National Parks and Wildlife Service.  I am pleased to say that the resulting NPWS Review and Strategic Action Plan for the renewal were published in May 2022 at gov.ie - National Parks and Wildlife Service – Strategic Action Plan and Review. 

This has been a multi-phase Review across three phases.  The first, Review phase, involved extensive research, consultation, orientation and feedback work, and feeds into the remaining phases.  Secondly, the Reflect phase considered the outcomes of this work and then synthesised the resourcing gains of the past 18 months with a detailed, expert analysis of governance, organisational structures, communications, data systems and future resourcing, and outlines the NPWS’ specific requirements across those areas.  The final phase details the objectives and prioritised actions required to equip the NPWS to continue to deliver on the ambitious goals, objectives and targets emerging from our Programme for Government – Our Shared Future, the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, Heritage Ireland 2030 and the new National Biodiversity Action Plan.

The NPWS Review and Strategic Action Plan set out the programme required to equip the NPWS to continue to deliver on the ambitious goals, objectives and targets.  My officials are currently liaising with the senior management within NPWS to implement the recommendation as set out in the Review regarding the resource requirement of NPWS.  My Department is engaged in extensive recruitment campaigns across a number of grades throughout the divisional and regional structure within NPWS. 

In relation to enforcement, NPWS staff are working across all regions of the country to address wildlife crime and enforcement.  These include District Conservation Officers and Conservation Rangers, supported by Regional Managers and Divisional Managers.  There are in excess of 80 Conservation Rangers stationed across the country, and it is my intention to further increase ranger numbers up to 120.  We are working towards this goal as part of the above increase in resourcing being made available to NPWS. Given the enforcement roles discharged by certain staff in the National Parks and Wildlife Service, for reasons of operational security, my Department does not provide details of staffing in the manner requested.