‘Specialists needed’ to rid park of plant

Heritage Minister Heather Humphreys believes specialist contractors are required to rid Killarney’s National Park of the invasive rhododendron plant. About €2.8m has been spent over the past 10 years trying to curb the plant’s spread.

Amid calls for the use of more volunteers in clearance work, Ms Humphrey’s said there’s now an international shift to specialist companies.

Since the work began more than 30 years ago, volunteer groups such as Groundwork have assisted the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in ongoing operations to clear the 10,000-hectare park of the plant.

Almost €900,000 has been spent since 2009, including €820,000 paid to private contractors and €55,000 in voluntary work camps.

Sinn Féin, critical of the programme, claimed re-infestation was continuing and not enough volunteers are engaged. Rhododendron infestation is regarded as a serious problem in the park, a top tourist attraction, as the plant stifles the growth of other plants. It is a threat to the ancient oak woods too.

Aongus Ó Snodaigh TD claimed Ms Humphrey’s department was spending too much on private contractors and had stopped funding work camps for volunteers.

However, the minister said Groundwork had declined to co-operate with the NPWS’s rhododendron management programme. She said private companies were necessary for work in remote areas in the park.

Ms Humphreys described the work as “arduous and labour intensive”. She said four to eight volunteers were available during the year, generally from overseas universities.