Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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125. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 443 of 25 April 2023, if he will clarify the methods used to kill badgers snared by Departmental operatives; what happens to the remains of the badgers; and what terms and conditions are attached to the licence issued by the NPWS which facilitates the killing. [26521/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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For the purpose of clarity, all badgers captured are caught using a stopped body restraint. My Department does not deploy snares.

Badgers that are culled, are done so in a humane manner, either by the use of a licensed firearm or by the administration of barbiturates by a Departmental Veterinary Inspector. All badger carcasses are sent to either a contracted private or my Department's laboratories for post mortem examination. There are multiple terms and conditions attached to the licence issued by the NPWS. The purpose of these is to ensure that:

• The NPWS are informed of numbers and locations of badgers captured
• That the conditions laid down in various wildlife acts, regulations and statutory instruments are adhered to
• That procedures are followed to mitigate any risks to human or domestic animals
• That procedures are followed to ensure there is no unnecessary suffering or stress for any badgers captured.