Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. I have three brief questions. Something I come across quite regularly, and which the farming organisations have brought up, is the financial burden on younger farmers. Younger farmers have left the agricultural industry because of being locked up with TB and the consequences of same.

I am from County Wexford and one of the main issues I bring to witnesses attention this evening is the deer issue in County Wicklow. There is estimated to be in excess of 150,000 deer in the Wicklow Mountains and across the county. They stray into other counties and it is now a big issue in County Wexford. I brought this to the attention of Department several years ago when it started off in the Gorey area of north County Wexford. In recent years deer have come right down into the Enniscorthy area. It causes a huge amount of hardship for farmers. There is no doubt there is a TB issue around deer carrying the disease as well. It annoys me that the Department has people on the ground but they are not from the locality. They do not know the locality or the geography of the area. Why does the Department not employ additional staff who know the area, the ground and where the deer are coming in and the problems are?

I know the witnesses have been asked by farming organisations to carry out specific research. Mr. Ryan mentioned he has carried out research previously in County Wicklow. That is not sufficient given the research that is required because the deer issue is a serious one. This is coming from the farmers as to the extent of the disease. Can the witnesses comment on the management of wildlife control of badgers and specifically deer?