Vol. 574 No. 1
488 Ms Harkin asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government his views on the contention of his Department's spokesperson, who, in relation to the possible location of the regional headquarters of the National Parks and Wildlife Service in Ballinafad, County Sligo, has stated that his Department is of the view that it would not help the early mobilisation of this initiative for the issue of location to be put in question again. [26197/03]
489 Ms Harkin asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government if he will locate the regional headquarters of the National Parks and Wildlife Service in Ballinafad, County Sligo, subject to certain conditions being met by Arrow Community Enterprises. [26198/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 488 and 489 together.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, had been organised in three divisions headquartered respectively in Dublin, Cork and Galway. The establishment of a fourth NPWS division serving eight counties, Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Longford, Monaghan, Roscommon, Sligo and Westmeath, has been under way since 2000 when a more general reorganisation of the service was broached.
The designation of Sligo borough as headquarters for the new NPWS north division was consistent with the criteria regarding regional access adopted for the other divisional headquarters. It also followed extensive discussions between the former Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands and the union which represents NPWS staff.
Consequent on the above designation, the Office of Public Works has included the requirements of the NPWS north division in its plans for the extension of Government buildings in Sligo. The Office of Public Works is at present seeking interim accommodation for the staff unit involved, pending the availability of space in Government buildings, and will be prepared to assess all suitable accommodation in this context.
