Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

He was not being chased by dogs. Perhaps he was being chased by constituents in Kerry South who were unhappy about particular matters but they certainly had nothing to do with deer. The Minister needs a sense of proportion. He is trying to solve what he believes to be a problem with a sledge-hammer. We already have restrictions, monitoring and licensing arrangements. The Departments of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Agriculture, Fisheries and Food continuously monitor these activities but he is not happy.

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