Mr. Paul Smyth:

I echo what Mr. Maher said. Within the forum, once it is established, a number of key priorities should be focused on. Currently, most of the resources for dealing with wildlife go to dealing with badgers.

We cannot have a situation where resources are then taken from badgers; it has to be an extra resource that goes in. It involves simple things. Mr. Keane mentioned this earlier, in terms of fencing. TAMS-funded fencing around areas such as Coillte forestry is a simple proactive approach to this.

In terms of culling of deer in areas where there is a high incidence of TB, it is not only Wicklow that has this effect. We can see that in numerous areas in Cork, Waterford, etc. We need to look further into the genome sequencing in deer and the effect of how it passes between bovine and the deer population, and understand that more fully.

In saying that, at present there is too high a density of deer within the bovine catchment area and that is the sole focus that should be there in reducing that density. It is slowly coming to the attention of the Department that this is a major factor and the reduction of that density for established deer needs to be a priority for the Department.