Paul Murphy on Ireland's Biodiversity Crisis and NPWS Neglect
Deputy Paul Murphy warned that Ireland is in a biodiversity crisis and criticised state neglect revealed in the Stout Okinaja report. He said NPWS staffing is inadequate, highlighted alarming habitat and species declines, and condemned the effective privatisation of nature to private landowners.
Report findings and biodiversity decline
Murphy summarised the scale of the crisis - 85% of Ireland's protected habitats are in unfavourable condition, 46% are in ongoing decline and 43% of protected species are in an unfavourable status. He described this as part of the sixth mass extinction event and as evidence of a rift between humanity and nature caused by the organisation of production under capitalism.
NPWS staffing shortfall and international comparison
He noted the Stout Okinaja report found the NPWS had 354 staff at the time of the report and now about 400, far short of the 670 staff in the Danish Nature Agency. He highlighted that Denmark manages a sixth of the protected area size - 2,000 square kilometres compared with Ireland's 12,000 - and has around ten times the staff per square kilometre of protected area. He cited the report's estimate that it would cost less than 17 million euros to reach Danish staffing levels.
Privatisation of conservation on private land
Murphy pointed out that 90% of sites designated for nature protection are privately owned and are not managed by NPWS rangers. He quoted the report that Ireland does not have a comprehensive policy or system for management planning and delivery of conservation measures for most of its Natura 2000 sites and said this amounted to nature protection being privatised to landlords.
State priorities and support for farmers
He argued the strategic plan's failure to propose even minimal staffing increases reveals the state's priorities, noting the suggested staffing uplift would cost a fraction of the amount given annually to the horse and greyhound industries. Murphy also said many small farmers do pay attention to biodiversity and should be paid by the state for doing conservation work on behalf of society.
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The context of this debate is the sixth mass extinction event that we are currently living through, with a horrendous, dramatic, marked decline in biodiversity. 85% of Ireland's protected habitats are in unfavourable condition, 46% are in ongoing decline, 43% of protected species are in an unfavourable status. This biodiversity crisis is part of the rift opened up between humanity and nature by the economic system of capitalism, the organisation of production, of agriculture, on the basis of profit, as opposed to people's needs and our relationship with nature. The Stout Okinaja report is an excellent report that reveals the reality of that crisis and neglect by successive governments. Correctly, complimenting the staff at the heart of the National Park and Wildlife Service is dedicated, passionate and knowledgeable, but making the point that, quote, they have been neglected for decades in a political system that did not value nature and biodiversity. The report is absolutely damning. At the time of the report, the NPWS had only 354 staff, and that has gone up now to about 400, but that is far short of the 670 staff, for example, in the Danish Nature Agency, a country with a similar population, but with a sixth of the size of protected areas, 2,000 square kilometres, compared to Ireland's 12,000. In other words, Denmark has 10 times the number of staff per square kilometre of protected area than Ireland. Going on the estimates in that report, it would cost less than 17 million euros to bring staffing levels up to Danish levels, a fraction of the amount given, for example, to the horse and greyhound industries every single year. That the strategic plan does not contemplate even that minimal step is very revealing of the state's priorities when it comes to nature, when it comes to animal welfare, even with the Green Party in government. The other thing that jumps out from the report is the fact that 90% of the sites designated for nature protection are privately owned and so are not managed by the NPWS or protected by its rangers. It says, Ireland does not have a comprehensive policy or system for management planning and delivery of conservation measures for most of its Natura 2000 sites. That is really shocking. It means, effectively, nature protection has been privatised to landlords and that has been an unmitigated disaster. Of course, small farmers in particular, many do pay correct attention to biodiversity and should be paid for doing that by the state, because that is a task done on behalf of all of society. Thank you.
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