Sir, – Paddy Woodworth's excellent article "Government dragging its heels on reform of Parks and Wildlife Service" (Opinion & Analysis, February 15th) makes for gloomy reading.
The article exposes our failure to conserve and restore our natural heritage. It brings to mind recent reports in your newspaper about Irish companies having to sell millions of ready-to-plant trees to commercial forests in Scotland since licences to do likewise in this country are proving unattainable.
With all the talk of developing renewable energy such as hydrogen and wind, one wonders will we be any better with future management of our resources than we are at present.
Failure to look after our protected habitats and species is surely unforgivable. – Yours, etc,
DAVID MURPHY,
Clonskeagh,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – Paddy Woodworth’s succinct article on the recent review of our National Parks and Wildlife Service hits the spot. And the urgency to act now on the recommendations put forward by Prof Jane Stout and Micheál Ó Cinnéide is very real.
The fact that a strategic action plan is to accompany the review when published can be welcomed – provided it is realistic and is designed to truly reform the National Parks and Wildlife Service both structurally and culturally. Any action plan must also embrace a much greater emphasis on citizen-science and the role communities can have in managing nature conservation, when properly supported.
Such meaningful reform is not about throwing more staff and finance at the existing structure.
Completely new structures and governance arrangements are required, and I for one question whether this can be achieved within a Government department.
I have no doubt that the review considers options for this vital service to be future-proofed in a more autonomous and independent agency. That would be a huge step forward for a multitude of reasons. Such a recommendation will, I also have no doubt, be met by resistance from within the responsible Government department.
And yet history clearly shows us the benefits of properly governed agencies being tasked by governments with specific roles for which they become accountable to the appropriate Minister.
Let us hope that the Minister who must make this decision, with the support of Government, is able to lead radical reform. Our natural heritage won’t get too many more chances before we get this right. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL STARRETT,
Kilkenny.