Marie Moloney (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Nash, to the House and wish him, the Cathaoirleach and the staff a happy new year.I raise this Commencement matter because there is a stretch of road at Ballydowney, Killarney, on which there is no ditch or fence. It is level with the national park where the deer are free to roam. At a recent inquest, the coroner said that while he could not find traces of deer in that fatal accident, there were traces of deer in three fatal accidents previously. Many minor accidents have occurred on that stretch of road. Last week, I spoke to a woman who told me a deer wandered onto the road, hit the windscreen of her car and smashed it and broke the mirror. Many such accidents occur at that location but many people do not report them. I have been on to gardaí in Killarney who told me they get between 70 to 100 calls every year from people reporting deer on the road posing a danger.

The Minister will appreciate that if a farmer had livestock in a field, he would have to have a ditch or a fence to stop cows, sheep or other animals wandering onto the main road where an accident could happen. There used to be a high wall at that location but for some reason, it was removed and there is nothing in its place to prevent the deer wandering onto the road. The Minister should not get me wrong. I love the deer. They are a big draw in terms of visitors to Killarney town and we are very proud of them but we must ensure the safety of motorcyclists and pedestrians on that stretch of road. It is the main Ring of Kerry road on which many tourists travel. There is a warning sign with a deer on a yellow background and there is also another one indicating that horses are crossing as the road is used by a riding school. Signs should be erected that will have more of an impact on tourists and make them aware that accidents occur at this location and that deer wander onto the road.

I am aware there has been some resistance to putting up a fence in this area. It is difficult to establish who owns the land because in response to a motion put down by someone, the council said the land was in the ownership of Bord Fáilte. I would have thought it was in the ownership of the Office of Public Works but I believe now that it is under the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. We should try to establish who has responsibility for that stretch of land and ask that a barrier be put up to stop the deer jumping onto the road and causing many accidents in that location. I will await the Minister of State's reply before I refer to the matter further.