Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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583. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of vacancies in the National Parks and Wildlife Service by grade and location, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44698/24]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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As part of its ongoing workforce planning processes my Department keeps staffing matters under constant review in order to ensure all priority vacancies are filled in a timely manner and that resource allocations are balanced across the Department to meet key priorities as necessary.

My Department's latest round of formal workforce planning will get under way in the coming months following the confirmation of the budget for 2025. The outcome of this process will determine the estimated number of vacancies in NPWS across all grades, administrative, professional/technical, due to arise going forward.

My Department has been generally successful in filling roles advertised or falling vacant. From time to time, some technical and professional roles can take more time to recruit. In the period from 2020 to 2024 the total staff number has increased from 350 to 550 in line with the NPWS Strategic Action Plan.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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584. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding that has been allocated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service to support conservation efforts in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44699/24]

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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585. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how the National Parks and Wildlife Service is addressing habitat loss and degradation in Kildare’s nature reserves and protected areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44700/24]

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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586. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the plans that the National Parks and Wildlife Service has for the development of green spaces and nature reserves in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44701/24]

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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587. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the measures that the National Parks and Wildlife Service are implementing to protect endangered species in Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44702/24]

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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588. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government what engagement the National Parks and Wildlife Service has had with local authorities in Kildare to promote environmental education and awareness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44703/24]

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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590. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the way the National Parks and Wildlife Service is addressing the issue of illegal wildlife poaching and habitat destruction in Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44705/24]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 584, 585, 586, 587, 588 and 590 together.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), an Executive Agency of my Department has primary responsibility for nature conservation, wildlife protection and the presentation and preservation of our National Parks and Nature Reserves in Ireland. The NPWS Strategic Plan 2023-2025, and the National Biodiversity Action Plan published earlier this year, set out how the NPWS will achieve that objective and the ambition to play its part in the collective response required across Government and society to the biodiversity emergency.

There are over 550 people working across the NPWS to fulfil this mandate. There is an established NPWS office which sits within the Wildlife Enforcement and Nature Protection Directorate of the NPWS based in Kildare town and covers the NPWS Region of Kildare and East Offaly. Noteworthy Natura 2000 designated sites within the Region are Pollardstown Fen Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and National Nature Reserve, River Barrow SAC, numerous protected raised bog sites such as Mouds Bog, Ballynafagh Bog in Kildare and Clara Bog and Clara Bog Visitor Centre in Offaly. Regional staff consisting of Conservation Rangers, Education Guides, General Operatives, Managers and administrative support are based in the Kildare and Clara Offices. The work of the Region is supported by other Directorates within the NPWS including Science and Research and Conservation Measures.

The NPWS received €62.25m in capital and current funding from the Exchequer in 2024 to protect biodiversity. I have secured a budget provision of €78.1m in Exchequer funding for 2025. The entire budget of the NPWS is applied for the purpose of fulfilling its mission, which is to Protect Nature. This encompasses a wide range of activity and functions all of which support the overall goal of protecting nature.

For county Kildare specifically, funding for conservation is delivered through a variety of channels, including through peatlands restoration and conservation programmes. Just under €3m has been paid out to date by the NPWS in Kildare to applicants under the Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme (CTCCS) along with circa €18,000 spent to date on area based restoration payments under the Protected Raised Bog Restoration Incentive Scheme (PRBRIS). Since 2021, under the Enhanced Decommissioning, Rehabilitation and Restoration Scheme, enhanced rehabilitation measures have been carried out on more than 1,100 ha of Kildare peatlands previously used for extraction of peat for electricity generation, with the NPWS acting as scheme regulators.

The Peatland and Natura Community Engagement Scheme, Local Biodiversity Action Fund Conservation projects, the Breeding Wader European Innovation Partnership, the NPWS Farm Plan Scheme and the NPWS Regional Capital Works Programme for State Owned lands are some further examples of NPWS initiatives that are supporting biodiversity and nature in Kildare.

In 2024, the Irish Peatland Conservation Council were awarded grant funding towards their ‘Peatland Community Education through the World Wide Web’ project under the NPWS Peatlands and Natura Community Engagement Scheme and projects in Kildare received funding of just under €189,000 under the Local Biodiversity Action Fund between the period 2020-2024 supporting a number of projects and initiatives including education and awareness.

I recently announced the intention to designate two new nature reserves in Offaly and Kilkenny. Whilst there are no immediate plans to designate a new nature reserve in Kildare, the NPWS remains focused on the management and conservation of its current nature reserves in the area. The NPWS Conservation Measures Programme at Pollardstown Fen SAC and Nature Reserve, is establishing an appropriate conservation grazing regime and scrub control to enhance Annexed habitats and species present. Improving boardwalks and enhanced visitor interpretation in collaboration with Tóchar, is a priority project for Pollardstown Fen in 2025, subject to planning consent. The County Kildare Municipal Districts of Athy and Clane-Maynooth, together with Pollardstown Fen fall within the Just Transition Territory for allocation of funding through the Tóchar Midlands Wetland Restoration Scheme.

Combatting wildlife crime, including damage and degradation to habitats and species is a priority for the NPWS. My officials work closely with An Garda Síochána and the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) and this is recognised in Joint Protocols with both organisations. The NPWS also works with Inland Fisheries Ireland, local authorities and all other statutory bodies and the public in attempting to address wildlife crime and protect nature. Preliminary figures for county Kildare for 2024 up until 1 September, indicate 73 reports of suspected or alleged wildlife offences that my officials received and investigated. These would have been received via the NPWS dedicated wildlife crime reporting email, direct reports to staff and issues discovered during dedicated monitoring and enforcement patrols directly by staff. More information is available at the following link: www.npws.ie/wildlife-crime

The NPWS recognises the critical role the public has to play in reporting suspected wildlife crime to the authorities but it should also be noted that not every suspected wildlife crime reported turns out to be an offence on review by NPWS staff on the ground. The suspected offences reported to the NPWS included the suspected unlawful destruction of vegetation during the bird nesting season (1 March to 31 August), wilful disturbance to wildlife and the shooting of birds of prey amongst other reports. For the years 2020 to 2024, eighteen case files for alleged offences under wildlife legislation in Kildare have been submitted to the CSSO by the NPWS for their consideration for prosecution, some of which are still before the Courts.

Promoting general environmental awareness is undertaken by the NPWS liaising closely with the Heritage and Biodiversity Officers of Kildare County Council. NPWS officers have presented at Kildare Wildlife Rescues (KWR) Biodiversity Conferences and have organised educational walks on Pollardstown Fen National Nature Reserve. My Department has recognised the role that KWR can play in protecting Kildare and Ireland’s wildlife by making emergency funding of €50,000 available to assist KWR in their considerable efforts at rescuing oiled seabirds following an oil spillage incident on the East Coast in May 2024.

As part of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the NPWS also has a role in relation to development proposals – both on land and offshore, and across various sectors – where nature conservation issues and concerns arise. This role is primarily advisory, whether in the context of statutory notifications or referrals to the Minister by various consent authorities, or in the context of non-statutory pre-application consultations received. The NPWS remains available to advise the local authority in the implementation of their biodiversity and green infrastructure objectives.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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589. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the current staffing levels within the National Parks and Wildlife Service in County Kildare; whether additional resources are planned to support conservation efforts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44704/24]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Staffing levels across my Department are kept under regular review in line with emerging business needs and Government policy on public sector pay and staffing as advised by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Strategic Action Plan 2023-2025 has delivered an increase of staff from 350 to 550 staff across a range of disciplines. My Department continues to work with the Public Appointments Service to fill various positions across the country, including County Kildare.

The NPWS does not provide staff numbers at local level for operational reasons.