Fórsa is surveying members at the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) as part of an ongoing review of the service, which is included in the Programme for Government.

The survey, which has been emailed to members, is seeking views on governance, management and reporting structures. The results will inform a union submission to two independent reviewers, professor Jane Stout who is the chair of the review, and Dr Michéal Ó Cínneide who is facilitating the process.

The union represents members across a range of disciplines in the employment, including administration, professional and technical grades including wildlife inspectors, conservation officers, ecologists, and conservation rangers.

The review has invited submissions from a number of stakeholders, and a public survey assessing the experience of our national parks is already underway.

Fórsa official Sean Carabini, who formerly represented the NPWS branch, has welcomed the review as an important step.

“There are substantial statutory responsibilities on conservation and planning due to national, European and international commitments, which have brought about additional responsibilities for staff. It’s clear that the state will need to invest properly and resource the service to ensure future challenges are met. This review is an excellent starting point,” he said.

Fórsa official Shay Clinton, who is newly responsible for the branch, highlighted the benefits of the evaluation.

“During lockdown lots of us have discovered and appreciated our national parks and wildlife. All these state resources need to be conserved, protected and managed. It’s important that all stakeholders, including staff, have the opportunity to have their voice heard,” he said.

Shay is adamant that the staff have a real input into this review and stressed the importance of staff contribution the consultation process.

“Staff who know what needs to be done and, once we have their views, we will be making a submission and seeking a meeting with the reviewers. This is an opportunity to increase staff morale particularly given the important challenges ahead,” he said.

The review will be concluded during summer 2021 and a report of its findings will be published.

For more information on the stakeholder survey click HERE.