Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A total of 61 golden eagles were released in Glenveagh National Park in Donegal between 2001 and 2012 as part of a reintroduction programme managed by the Golden Eagle Trust in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department. I am advised that a national census of golden eagles is not feasible as the birds released in Glenveagh have dispersed widely. Some have been seen in counties Kerry and Antrim as well as in Scotland. However, I understand that some 20 birds are known to be in Ireland, with the whereabouts of another 20 or so unknown. At least four birds have died of natural causes and to, my great disappointment, some have been poisoned illegally. To date, ten Irish-bred golden eagle chicks have been reared in Donegal, between 2007 and 2013, and there are now eight golden eagle territories in the county.

Two primary factors impact on the success of the breeding programme. The first is poisoning, aimed at fox and crow control, and the main cause of mortality. My Department has improved the law in regard to poison baits and has a protocol with the regional veterinary laboratories of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the State Laboratory to enable quick post mortems and toxicology analysis. Uncontrolled fires and both under-grazing and overgrazing also have an impact. These issues will continue to require significant co-operation by the many stakeholders involved. Overall, I am pleased with progress in the golden eagle reintroduction project. It brought back these spectacular birds to our skies, thereby increasing interest in our biodiversity and boosting local tourism.

With regard to red deer, no national census has been undertaken as many live in dense cover in our forest plantations. However, an academic review by Dr. Ruth Carden concluded that, in the 30 year period up to 2008, the range of red deer had increased significantly - in the order of five-fold. As part of the conservation measures taken to ensure the continued protection of the red deer, the hunting of red deer stags is prohibited in County Kerry. In October 2012, I extended protection to female red deer from County Kerry by removing them from the open seasons order. Overall, given the increase in range of the red deer, I am confident that the conservation measures adopted so far have been effective.

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