Departmental Funding

Thursday, 13 November 2025

Questions (335)

John Brady

Question:

335. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the funding spent clearing Rhododendron for each year between 2000 and 2025, including location and cost, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62694/25]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Orders.

The NPWS has performed a search of its records and has confirmed that the information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. During the twenty-five year period covered by this question, the NPWS has been a constituent part of a number of different Departments. During that period, reporting processes and operational priorities have significantly changed and evolved, with significant internal reorganisation occurring within the NPWS as well. As such, it has been possible to compile a list of figures dating back to 2011. Further analysis and compilation of this information would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work.

While funding may be set aside in a given year to tackle a particular problem, in this case Rhododendron infestations, it does not represent the totality of work related to addressing that challenge. The management and control of invasive species and other infestations on the NPWS Estate forms part of the routine work of the NPWS and as such is not always specifically funded separately from other routine operations in each area. Also, it is of relevance to note that while the NPWS might invest in measures one year on a site, it may be several years before additional significant investment is required, depending on the scale and specifics of the infestation being tackled, with some years requiring monitoring rather than active intervention.

Therefore, while it presents an incomplete picture of the management of Rhododendron, for the following years and areas (specific sites included where possible), relevant allocations have been identified:

Allocated	Area	Year
€ 4,171.13	Connemara National Park	2011
€ 1,651.42	Connemara National Park	2012
€ 66,000.00	South West	2013
€ 7,000.00	North West	2013
€ 10,000.00	Mid-west	2013
€ 7,960.00	North Midland	2013
€ 11,350.00	South West	2014
€ 30,000.00	West	2014
€ 18,000.00	South East	2014
€ 4,000.00	North Mid	2014
€ 5,000.00	North East	2014
€ 50,000.00	MidWest	2014
€ 7,367.75	Connemara National Park	2014
€ 80,900.00	Northern	2015
€ 8,576.00	Northern	2015
€ 18,000.00	Eastern	2015
€ 5,000.00	Eastern	2015
€ 40,000.00	Western	2015
€ 113,500.00	Southern	2015
€ 60,000.00	midwest	2016
€ 22,000.00	MidWest	2016
€ 6,200.00	Northern	2016
€ 60,000.00	Northern	2016
€ 12,000.00	Northern	2016
€ 75,000.00	South West	2016
€ 10,000.00	conemmara	2016
€ 5,269.40	Connemara National Park	2016
€ 240,000.00	Southern	2017
€ 60,000.00	Western	2017
€ 12,000.00	Western	2017
€ 20,000.00	Northern	2017
€ 4,200.00	Northern	2017
€ 10,000.00	Northern	2018
€ 93,102.23	Northern	2018
€ 24,060.00	Killarney	2018
€ 27,607.00	Killarney	2018
€ 13,163.00	Killarney	2018
€ 5,000.00	Rhodo Volunteer	2018
€ 134,000.00	Killarney	2018
€ 150,000.00	Northern	2019
€ 40,000.00	Mid West	2019
€ 60,000.00	MidWest	2019
€ 50,000.00	Wild Nephin	2019
€ 214,906.22	Killarney	2019
€ 131,020.07	Glenveagh	2019
€ 255,695.93	Glenveagh	2020
€ 329,150.00	Killarney	2020
€ 88,057.27	Connemara National Park	2020
€ 64,791.00	Wild Nephin	2020
€ 20,000.00	Coole garrlyns	2021
€ 50,000.00	Burren	2021
€ 250,000.00	Connemara National Park	2021
€ 50,000.00	MidWEst	2021
€ 50,000.00	Western	2021
€ 2,716.00	Glendalough	2021
€ 204,990.21	Glenveagh	2021
€ 10,000.00	Union Wood	2021
€ 489,026.10	Killarney	2021
€ 60,000.00	Glengariif	2021
€ 10,000.00	Wicklow Mountains	2021
€ 25,000.00	Glenof the Downs	2021
€ 271,397.73	Connemara National Park	2021
€ 2,596.84	Glenlough	2022
€ 7,300.00	Killarney	2022
€ 33,609.75	Killarney	2022
€ 263,143.00	Killarney	2022
€ 50,000.00	Western	2022
€ 308,355.31	Glenveagh	2022
€ 12,000.00	Union Wood	2022
€ 33,000.00	Pettigo	2022
€ 5,000.00	Sorrell Hill	2022
€ 323,406.11	Connemara National Park	2022
€ 84,920.00	Bundorragha Catchment Galway	2022
€ 153,565.50	Connemara National Park	2022
€182,905.25	Cloghernagore Bog and Glenveagh National Park SAC	2022
€17,420.00	Wicklow Mountains SAC	2022
€5,788.50	Lough Corrib SAC	2022
€33,000.00	Dunragh Loughs/Pettigo Plateau SAC	2022
€ 22,635.00	Lower Erriff Catchment	2023
€ 550,974.58	Killarney	2023
€ 223,209.18	Glenveagh	2023
€ 187,281.67	Connemara National Park	2023
€ 232,500.00	Wild Nephin	2023
€4,946.40	Wicklow Mountains SAC	2023
€11,019.50	Cloonee and Inchiquin Loughs, Uragh Wood SAC	2023
€43,543.50	Glengarriff Harbour and Woodland SAC	2023
€42,562.50	Bellacorick Bog Complex SAC	2023
€136,200.00	Owenduff/Nephin Complex SAC	2023
€85,125.00	Owenduff/Nephin Complex SAC	2023
€283,835.62	The Twelve Bens/Garraun Complex SAC	2023
€327,756.66	Killarney National Park, Macgillycuddy's Reeks and Caragh River Catchment SAC	2023
€79,450	Killarney National Park, Macgillycuddy's Reeks and Caragh River Catchment SAC	2023
€ 1,792,974.55	Killarney	2024
€ 303,712.84	Glenveagh	2024
€ 85,557.44	Connemara National Park	2024
€ 8,254.14	Derrycrag NR	2024
€ 247,000.00	Wild Nephin	2024
€8,254.14	Derrycrag Wood Nature Reserve SAC	2024
€63,075.33	Cloghernagore Bog and Glenveagh National Park SAC	2024
€14,103.00	Cloonee and Inchiquin Loughs, Uragh Wood SAC	2024
€36,946.00	Glengarriff Harbour and Woodland SAC	2024
€2,156.93	Sheheree (Ardagh) Bog SAC	2024
€280,345.00	Owenduff/Nephin Complex SAC	2024
€ 31,400.00	Section of peatland on the western side of the Lettra commonage area within the Owenduff/Nephin SAC Complex in County Mayo	2025
€260,717.94	Cloghernagore Bog and Glenveagh National Park SAC	2025
€7,207.50	Cloonee and Inchiquin Loughs, Uragh Wood SAC	2025
€16,354.00	Sheheree (Ardagh) Bog SAC	2025
€ 550,000.00	Killarney	2025
€ 280,000.00	Glenveagh	2025