Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I withdraw the word - it has been proved. The Kerry red deer are a unique feature of our heritage. A recent report discovered that the Kerry red deer are the direct descendants of deer present in Ireland some 5,000 years ago. While the report concluded that these deer species were brought from Britain into the country, the authors of the report believe that the unique Kerry red deer population are worthy of special conservation status.

The fortunes of this unique species have fluctuated over the years. Prior to 2005 the hunting of Kerry red deer, both male and female, was prohibited. At that time, data indicated that there was an increase in the red deer population in Killarney National Park and in the surrounding area. As a result it was decided to allow the hunting of the Kerry female red deer during the open season in the period from November to February. However, the hunting of Kerry male red deer was still prohibited.

In the intervening years the monitoring data of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department recorded a significant decline in red deer density in Killarney National Park. Therefore, in order to conserve the special lineage of red deer in Kerry, the Minister decided last month to prohibit the hunting of the Kerry female red deer. The effect of his decision is that it is now prohibited to hunt both the male and female Kerry red deer species. I am aware that most hunters support this measure given that some hunting organisations had already urged the Minister to take action to address the poor status of the Kerry red deer. My Department will be closely monitoring compliance with this prohibition.

There have been a number of recent incidents of illegal killing of red deer in Kerry. It saddens me to think that people would go to the trouble of illegally shooting these beautiful animals. I know that staff from the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department have carried out increased patrols in the county in recent months, including patrols at night, with a view to deterring the illegal shooting of deer. I would be hopeful that prosecutions will be brought against the people involved in this illegal activity. I also commend the various deer organisations, including the Wild Deer Association of Ireland, on their vigilance in reporting such incidents.

Within the boundaries of Killarney National Park, there are currently some 600 red deer which are of a healthy nature. I hope in the coming years that we will see an increase in the number of red deer in the national park, and in the county as a whole, following the decision to ban the hunting of the female red deer.