Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 February 2025
566. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the breakdown of the amount spent on addressing invasive species, broken down by national park, in each of the years from 2019 to date, in tabular form. [2135/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra567. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the breakdown of the amount spent on addressing rhododendron species, broken down by national park, in each of the years 2019 to date, in tabular form. [2136/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 566 and 567 together.
Managing invasive species within the boundaries of Ireland’s National Parks system is one of the important areas of work undertaken by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department, with a significant amount of resources devoted to this task every year. Invasive species cause grave damage to ecosystems and to conservation objectives, with invasive species colonising the environment and having significant impacts on biodiversity.
The following table outlines the funding allocated for the control of invasive species in each National Park during the 2019-2024 period. It should be noted that the figures included in this table relates to the funding specifically allocated for contracted work on invasive species projects. It does not reflect internal staff time, investment in capital equipment, current resources spent on invasive species management and voluntary effort.
Figures are not available for this date range for the newly established (2024) National Parks, Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, County Kerry and Brú na Bóinne, Co. Meath.
|
Year |
Main species targeted |
Killarney National Park |
Connemara National Park |
Wild Nephin National Park |
Burren National Park |
Glenveagh National Park |
Wicklow Mountains National Park |
|
2019 |
Rhodendron |
€214,906.02 |
- |
- |
- |
€131,020.07 |
- |
|
2020 |
Rhodendron |
€329,150.00 |
€88,057.27 |
€64,791.00 |
- |
€255,695.93 |
- |
|
2021 |
Rhodendron |
€489,026.10 |
€323,406.11 |
- |
- |
€204,990.21 |
- |
|
Laurel Removal |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€28,375.00 |
|
|
Scrub Control |
- |
- |
- |
€50,000.00 |
- |
- |
|
|
Sitka spruce |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€23,550.42 |
|
|
2022 |
Rhodendron |
€251,403.31 |
€153,565.50 |
- |
- |
€308,355.31 |
- |
|
Sitka spruce |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€4,999.68 |
|
|
2023 |
Rhodendron |
€550,974.58 |
€187,281.67 |
€232,500.00 |
- |
€223,209.18 |
- |
|
Sitka spruce |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€5,000.00 |
||
|
Montbretia |
- |
€15,935.40 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
2024 |
Rhodendron |
€1,792,974.55 |
€85,557.44 |
€247,000.00 |
- |
€303,712.84 |
- |
|
Sitka spruce |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
€2,603.90 |
|
|
Montbretia |
- |
€27,240.00 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
