Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will ask a question that comes under the remit of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It relates to the over-population of deer. Farmers, householders, road-users and everyone else are threatened and intimidated by these animals. Certainly, they are nice animals but they are creatures of habit and they cross roads in west Waterford and south Tipperary to go for water. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae informs me that in Galway and Kerry they come in the door. It is a major problem and we need a cull by the Department because accidents are happening. Farmers cannot keep their fences up. They cannot keep their crops. Even when farmers put out food in the winter in the troughs the deer are so populous – there may be 12 or 20 deer in a field – that they eat it all. All the cash crops are being destroyed by them.

Will the Minister and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine instigate a major cull? Before the animal welfare people jump down my throat, it is a health and safety issue and a human safety issue. It is also the case that they are doing major damage to agriculture. People are being killed in cars where deer have jumped on top of them.

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