The National Parks and Wildlife Service

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) plays a key role in the protection of Ireland’s biodiversity, working to secure the conservation of ecosystems, flora and fauna in Ireland. 

Green Party Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan TD has launched a Strategic Action Plan for the NPWS, which sets out an ambitious timeline for a full organisational restructuring and a substantial €55m additional investment in the organisation across three budgetary cycles, together with the early recruitment of 60 key staff for critically important roles. This builds upon the gains already made. In Budget 2022, Minister Noonan increased NPWS funding to €47m, an increase of 64% since he became Minister, bringing it back up to levels not seen since before the financial crisis.

We are working to deliver an NPWS that is more resilient, fitter for purpose and better resourced, with a stronger identity and voice, and better enabled to cope with change. As an executive agency, its dedicated senior management team will ensure clearer core priorities, and focussed direction of resources toward those priorities. A full internal redesign of the NPWS will result in new Directorates structured along functional lines, improved communications, both internally and externally, and a much stronger focus on customer service, outcomes and delivery for the public and the citizen. Better and more structured engagement with NPWS stakeholders and the public will be prioritised via a structured stakeholder engagement process.