Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
851. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of staff employed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service; the number of sanctioned posts in the service; the average pay of staff members; the current full year cost of running the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41929/22]
View answerThere were 438 staff employed in the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) at the end of June 2022. The average pay of those staff was €42,418.
My Department’s workforce planning process identifies the resource requirements and priorities for each business unit within the NPWS. In conjunction with this process, the NPWS Review and Strategic Action Plan set out the programme required to equip the NPWS to continue to deliver on the ambitious goals, objectives and targets. My officials are currently working to implement the recommendations as set out in the Review regarding the resource requirements of the NPWS. Staff levels across the Department, including the NPWS, 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 and Reform.
Excluding payroll costs, in excess of €47m in funding was provided to the National Parks and Wildlife Service in Budget 2022, including dedicated provisions, and funding to be drawn from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and Rural Recreation allocations. The represents an increase of 20% when compared with the NPWS spend in 2021.
The payroll costs for the NPWS was €16.2m in 2021 and I expect that figure to be much higher when the outturn for 2022 becomes available at the end of this year.
