Mr. Gerard Murphy:

I share the Deputy's concerns. There is no doubt that the deer population in certain parts of the country presents issues. We have heard this from many landowners. We have a policy on managing wild deer in our estate according to accepted principles of sustainable deer management. This means balancing the conservation, control and use of the species in a way that actually makes sense. A very important aspect is collaborating with other landowners because deer are very mobile. Unless we collaborate to deal with the issue, it will be very difficult to address. We have had some good success in County Wicklow, where collaborative approaches have worked. We certainly support the inter-agency deer policy group. I understand a national deer policy is due to be launched shortly, and we certainly would welcome it. A national view is required on how best to control deer populations. In every area of the country, we have deer-management plans. As part of our forest management plans, we have deer-management plans that require monitoring and, if necessary, culling.