Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy noted, this is an emotive topic and there is a balance to be struck, as I said earlier, between agriculture, forestry and conservation when we talk about deer, which are of significance in terms of conservation. However, I accept what the Deputy is saying regarding possible road traffic issues. My understanding is that it is more an issue during the rut period, which is during the autumn. It should be noted as well that we do not cull pregnant deer. Given that the deer are wild, they are often difficult to find but, obviously, if a sick deer is found in an opportunistic way, they would have to be culled. I understand that only a handful of sika deer have been culled over the past number of years whereas 18 red deer have already been culled. It is important that we try to manage this. The council has responsibility as well with regard to putting up proper signage to ensure that motorists are more vigilant when they drive through the areas. I mentioned that to obtain a licence, there needs to be evidence of damage. People who want a licence to cull deer must apply for it because it is important that we preserve the deer in Killarney National Park for the reasons I outlined earlier.

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