I get reports of wildlife crimes and habitat destruction on a regular basis. When I contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service the response is that an investigation will be carried out but very few investigations result in prosecutions. Recent successful prosecutions range from five in 2014 to 21 last year. Clearly, these rates are not a deterrent to people who illegally hunt, poison raptors and damage habitats. Why are there not more prosecutions?

The programme for Government commits to reviewing funding for the National Parks and Wildlife Service but it desperately needs to go further. The service needs to be properly resourced and there is need for a specialised Garda unit to deal with wildlife crime. What assurances can the Tánaiste provide that the laws will be enforced?

I thank the Deputy for the question. The budget for the National Parks and Wildlife Service has been increased in recent years and I am confident it will be again. We have some fabulous national parks in Ireland. A lot of people will have an opportunity to discover them over the next couple of months. I was in the Burren National Park last weekend. I encourage people to visit but not in too large numbers because it does take away from it when there are too many people there. It is difficult for me to answer the question so I will ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to correspond with the Deputy in more detail. I do know that prosecutions can be difficult to take in this area because for a prosecution to be effective evidence is needed. Evidence of wildlife crimes usually involves either a witness or a video. Without those, it is hard to secure a prosecution. We need to do more for sure.