Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-10
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Jennifer Whitmore (SD), Wicklow

I will start again. The Irish Times reported yesterday on figures that my colleague, Deputy Liam Quaide, obtained showing that reports of wildlife crime to the National Parks and Wildlife Service nearly doubled in five years, from 301 incidents in 2021 to 581 last year. These are serious offences and include illegal hedgerow removal, habitat destruction and unauthorised drainage, yet prosecutions collapsed to just 17 in 2024. That is one prosecution for every 34 reported crimes. Three entire counties had zero prosecutions in five years. Yet, when Deputy Quaide sought answers from the NPWS on its staffing capacity, the Minister of State refused to provide them. Without enforcement our wildlife laws are not worth the paper they are written on. Will the Taoiseach commit to a full review of the enforcement capacity of the NPWS and ensure there is transparency about the staffing of national parks in all regions?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-10/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:47+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-10