Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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599. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will run a recruitment campaign early in the new year seeking to employ additional directly employed ecologists for his Department. [54482/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has significantly increased the number of permanent ecologists working in the Department over the last number of years. The Department also utilise ecologists on a contract basis. Permanent ecologists now work in several Divisions of my Department and provide useful expertise as we are dealing with biodiversity related policy and scheme delivery matters.

Earlier this year a competition was advertised for the recruitment of permanent ecologists into my Department with a competition run in April. A panel was formed that will have a two year lifespan. Any ecology posts that are sanctioned for filling within my Department will be filled from this panel. Ecologists have been recruited already from this panel and further offers will continue until the panel is exhausted or the two year period lapses.