John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The proliferation of red deer in Killarney National Park is now at crisis level. The number stands in excess of 1,000 but, as they are protected, only Killarney National Park can deal with them. This leads to the question whether, if something happens such as a road traffic accident involving a red deer, Killarney National Park is to be held responsible. This crisis has numerous effects. First are road safety issues, and there are ecology issues for the national park. There are animal welfare issues for the deer and there are health issues, because the area is a Lyme disease hotspot. There are other types of deer, such as sika deer, and there is a risk of the hybridisation of the herd, which nobody wants. A deer management plan is needed for this. It has been called for on several occasions and it has not been delivered. There have been a couple of reports but reports are just reports. If there is no plan or an implementation plan behind it, it will be impossible to get to grips with this very serious issue.

Killarney National Park is severely under-resourced and it is struggling with a huge rhododendron crisis. I wonder if the park has the ability to deal with this issue, even if it had a plan in place and was directed to deal with it. Will the Minister consider transferring responsibility for this issue to the Office of Public Works until it is under control? This seems to be the only logical solution. The Minister could also look at recruiting responsible, trained and licensed hunters in the vicinity to deal with the crisis until it is under control.

On the verge of the national park, in places like Tomies and Beaufort, farmers and landowners are at breaking point over this issue. One farmer has up to 20 red deer grazing his land daily. Can the Minister imagine the effect that is having on fodder control for his own animals? The deer leave droppings and these become part of the silage, rendering it useless.

In summary, if we do not have a plan, we have no ability to deal with the issue so can the Minister ensure that a plan is put in place? Could she look at transferring responsibility for Killarney National Park to the Office of Public Works and look at the possibility of recruiting trained hunters to deal with the immediate crisis? Could she use her good offices to ensure that instead of having reports and possible actions, we have real action before the crisis escalates beyond an already critical point?

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Brassil for raising this important topic. Each year, as part of the ongoing management of deer populations within Killarney National Park, deer numbers may need reduction for the reasons outlined by the Deputy. There is a significant challenge in attempting to balance the demands of agriculture, forestry and conservation with the need to ensure that deer populations occupying the same land resources are managed at sustainable levels and in a responsible and ethical manner.

Ultimately, however, where deer species are increasing in range and numbers and depending on the annual count and instances of damage caused by deer to habitats, especially woodland, culls need to be carried out to ensure that deer populations do not reach levels that would have negative ecological consequences. Deer have the potential to impact significantly on woodlands, including the iconic yew, oak and also wet woodlands, within the park by, for example, bark stripping of mature trees and preventing regeneration. Accordingly, and as part of its regular ongoing management operations, the Department carries out localised annual deer counts on State lands when appropriate. The Department commissioned a comprehensive survey and report in the winter of 2016 on the distribution, population density and population structure of red deer and sika deer in Killarney National Park. The study found that the total estimated red deer density over the entire study area of 13.64 sq. km was some 708 deer. I am not sure if Deputy Brassil was including sika deer within his own statistics. The number of sika deer is approximately 200 so the number is almost 2,000, as the Deputy mentioned earlier.

On foot of this comprehensive survey and report in the winter of 2016 and following a further census of areas of the park conducted in spring 2017, my Department commenced a cull of deer last month. It is hoped to conclude the cull by the end of March. This work will be undertaken by qualified and competent National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, personnel of my Department. The proposed cull is at a similar level to that which was undertaken in previous years. I can give the Deputy the statistics afterwards but approximately 45 deer were culled last year while 55 were culled the year before. To date, 13 deer have been culled this year. The following points should be noted with regard to the cull. The proposed course of action has been decided upon following consultation with NPWS professional staff, including scientific input as required. Shooting of deer in the park will be carried out only by NPWS professional staff members who are fully trained, competent, expert and licensed in the use of firearms. Deer will be culled within the boundaries of Killarney National Park. The selection of deer to be shot will be in accordance with normal deer management protocols. The deer will be shot humanely by qualified expert marksmen. The remains will be processed and disposed of in full compliance with the applicable Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine guidelines and with the involvement, as appropriate, of Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine officials. As part of the ongoing proactive management of the habitats and species in Killarney National Park, it is proposed to conduct a Killarney National Park deer census in 2018. This work will be undertaken by external specialists. It is hoped to initiate this process shortly.

As the Deputy mentioned, wild deer are protected under the Wildlife Acts and roam freely throughout the countryside. They are the only remaining native large mammal in Ireland. They are also a huge attraction for tourists, particularly during the mating season in autumn which is known as the rut. However, I accept what the Deputy is saying regarding road traffic issues. With regard to the licensing, which the Deputy raised during his opening remarks, a licence can be applied for under the Wildlife Acts outside the normal open season but there must be evidence of damage to private property.

John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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A person can apply for a licence but, unfortunately, the experience to date has been that if somebody applies for a licence and is experiencing a large number of red deer, for example, 15 or 20 deer, on their lands continually, they will get the licence to cull possibly two or three deer, which does not deal with the problem. Perhaps the Minister could look into that. This is not a very nice issue to have to raise because the culling of any beautiful wild animal is not something I would call for here without very good reason. In her reply, the Minister said that the work has started. I have no knowledge of this but, obviously, I will take the Minister's sources at their word. I would also caution that this is the time of year when deer are in foal - I am not sure whether that is the correct term to use for a deer carrying its young. It would not be the most appropriate time for such activity. To my knowledge, September is the time when this work should be carried out. I revert to my original question and point. In my opinion, if we do not have an actual plan that states the number of deer that the park can successfully manage and deal with, we will not know what our target is and the number to which we should be getting. Perhaps we should look at reducing the numbers over a five-year period to an acceptable level that reduces the risk of traffic accidents, ecological and animal welfare issues and any potential hybridisation. It is not a topic that will probably read very well or make for good listening for anybody watching but at the same time, it is very important. If it is not dealt with, it will just escalate into an even greater crisis. I welcome the fact that the Minister's sources tell her that the work has started but I would question it because, to my knowledge, there is no evidence of it on the ground.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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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.