Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Like the Deputy, I wholeheartedly support the sustainable management of the deer population in this country. It is critically important and we have made significant strides in that regard in recent years with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, in terms of resources and approving the licensing regime for the hunting of deer.

I assume the Deputy's Topical Issue was prompted by the unfortunate incident in Kerry over the weekend where a woman was injured by a stag. I want to extend my sincere sympathy to the woman and wish her a speedy recovery. Attempts have been made to domesticate and hand feed the deer involved in this case. I want to remind people that these are wild animals and should remain as such. With deer, it is important that people stay alert and maintain a reasonable distance of at least 50 m between themselves and a deer. It is also inadvisable to attempt to domesticate or feed a deer or any other wild animal. This practice is not only dangerous, but may be damaging to the ability of the animal to survive and thrive in the wild.

Culling is already a regular and ongoing management operation within our national parks. The NPWS and my Department is committed to the active management of deer species within the State, our State-owned national parks and our nature reserves. As part of its regular ongoing management operations, the NPWS carries out regular census reports on deer on our sites.

Where appropriate, and depending on annual counts or whether it is evident that damage has been caused by deer to habitats, especially woodland, culls may need to be carried out to ensure that deer populations do not reach levels that would be negative to the ecology of the park. Since 2016, more than 2,000 deer have been culled in our national parks, with culls in Killarney National Park accounting for almost 900 of this number. During the 2021 season, 436 deer we culled in Wicklow, 44 in Glenveagh and 234 in Killarney National Park. All of this happened during Covid.

It should be noted that while the NPWS actively manages deer on its properties, it does not own the deer population and is not responsible for the control of deer on private lands. Similarly, it is not responsible for cordoning them off to any specific areas of land. Deer populations are, by their nature, mobile and have a home range that is not constrained by land ownership boundaries. These home ranges are normally defined by physical landscape features such as mountains, lakes, rivers, built-up areas and the availability of a suitable habitat within their home range.

The control of deer on private property is a matter for the relevant landowner. Landowners may apply to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for permission under section 42 of the Wildlife Acts to cull deer, where necessary, outside of the annual open season. These permissions offer a facility whereby a person can obtain a permit on a case-by-case basis in order to prevent serious damage caused by individual deer on specific lands, something the Deputy highlighted regarding damage to farmlands and forestry. These permissions are only issued where there is evidence of such damage. I will come back with a final response.

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