Seanad debates

Tuesday, 2 April 2019

Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters

Wildlife Control

2:30 pm

Photo of Denis O'DonovanDenis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Coghlan will have to accept that it is a Cork Minister of State who will deal with this issue.

Photo of Paul CoghlanPaul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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Let me assure the House that the Minister is acceptable.

I wish to raise the issue of deer wandering from Killarney National Park, which is giving rise to increasing concern about road accidents. This morning I met a lady, who is in the Gallery, who lost a wing mirror to a deer some time ago near the home of my colleague, Mr. Seán Kelly, MEP at Gortroe. There are pinch points in the Ballydowney- Gortroe area, where deer wander from the national park across to good grazing land.There is concern that deer numbers are increasing. I hope the Minister of State can give me a breakdown of the numbers of the native Kerry red deer and the imported Japanese sika species. We have had a few hundred of them in the Killarney area for a hundred years or more. We badly need some fencing along part of the road from Killarney to Killorglin, though not along its entirety because a wall runs along a good stretch of it. The fencing on the walkway route is pretty good. However, there are points where there is no fencing. The deer come onto the land between the walkway and the roadway and they are free to cross the road. They are very much tempted to do so.

Some of the accidents have been serious. I have not heard of anyone being killed, thanks be to God, but I have heard of a lot of damage to vehicles, including in a case I heard about this morning. I am looking forward to hearing the Minister of State speak about the management plan. I know there is a new regional manager, whom I look forward to meeting. I believe he is very good on the question of deer and he has already initiated a cull of a hundred or more. A cull is necessary in managing the deer. I am a member of the Kerry Deer Society. We are interested in the conservation of the Kerry red deer, though not so much the sika. The sika are often more difficult to locate. They are smaller animals. I look forward to hearing from the Minister of State. I may have a question or two for him afterwards.

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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On behalf of the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Madigan, I thank the Senator for the opportunity to discuss this important issue. Before I begin, the Minister has asked me to address the fire on Torc Mountain in the Killarney National Park over the weekend. I would like to put on official record our thanks to the Kerry fire and rescue service, the staff of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, rangers in Killarney, the regional manager and all the volunteers who came to our assistance on Friday evening and Saturday morning and worked tirelessly through Friday night to put the fire out. Preliminary mapping by NPWS staff has shown that in excess of 70 ha, that is, 175 acres, of priority habitat has been extensively damaged by this fire. There has also been a severe localised impact on flora and fauna. The cause of the fire is still under investigation and the NPWS will be following up with authorities, including the Kerry fire and rescue service, to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the blaze.

In respect of the Commencement debate to hand, the Department recognises that deer form an important part of wildlife on State lands such as Wicklow Mountains National Park and Killarney National Park. It should be noted, however, that while the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department licenses the hunting of deer, the Department does not own the deer population. They are wild animals. As deer species are increasing in range and numbers, 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. Killarney holds a special place among our national parks as far as deer population and management are concerned. Killarney National Park contains the largest concentration of red deer, Ireland's only native large mammal, as well as large numbers of non-native sika deer, as the Senator has pointed out.

With regard to Killarney National Park in particular, Senator Coghlan will be aware that as part of its regular ongoing management operations the Department carries out localised annual deer counts on State lands where appropriate. A number of surveys, censuses and reports on the deer population have been conducted in recent years, including 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. This was followed by further censuses in spring 2017 and winter 2018. The results of the most recent census of late 2018 are being finalised. Preliminary reported results indicate that the population density of red deer is in the region of 11.31 per sq. km, with a population of about 896 red deer. The sika population density is in the region of 6.71 per sq. km, with a population of roughly 532. Certain management issues, such as the need for culling, arise as a result of the increase in the deer population.

Deer also have the potential to impact significantly on woodlands, including the iconic yew, oak and other wet woodlands within the park, for example, by stripping the bark of mature trees and preventing regeneration. Therefore, where deer species are increasing in range and number, depending on the annual count and instances of damage caused to habitats by deer, culls need to be carried out to ensure deer populations do not reach levels that would have negative ecological consequences. More than 120 deer were culled between 2015 and 2017 and more than 120 deer were culled in 2018. The 2019 cull of deer has commenced. Some 210 deer have been culled so far. The aim is to finish culling in April 2019 with approximately 250 altogether to be taken for humane and management reasons.As deer culling has proven to be an emotive topic in the past few years, the proposed course of action is decided upon following consultation with NPWS professional staff, including scientific input as required. Shooting of deer in the park is carried out only by NPWS professional staff members, who are fully trained, competent, expert and licensed in the use of firearms. The selection of deer to be shot is in accordance with normal deer management protocols. The deer are shot humanely by qualified NPWS marksmen. The remains are 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 departmental officials.

As indicated above, the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht does not own the deer population. Deer are wild animals and they roam freely throughout the countryside. The control of deer on private property is the responsibility of landowners. Wild deer in the State are protected under the Wildlife Acts, but there is an annual open season during which deer can be legally shot under licence. The open season for deer operates generally from 1 September to the last day of February, depending on the species and gender of deer. Landowners may also apply to the Department for a permission under section 42 of the Wildlife Acts to cull deer where necessary outside the annual open seasons. These permissions offer a facility whereby a person can obtain a permit, on a case-by-case basis, to prevent serious damage caused by individual deer on specific lands. Permissions are only issued where there is evidence of such damage.

The Senator will also be aware of the issue of fencing, which has sometimes been raised with regard to deer management in Killarney National Park. There are no plans to fence the national park. Fencing it would not be a viable solution and would not achieve the desired results for a number of reasons. First, the presence of deer is not confined to the national parks and, consequently, fencing these properties would serve no practical purpose in wild deer control or management. Deer, albeit larger, are like other wild animals in this country and it is not part of the remit of the Department, nor would it be generally possible, to cordon them onto specific areas of land.

Second, the park is more than 10,000 ha in size, including some rugged terrain. Fencing this area would be an enormous task that is unlikely to result in the desired objective. Third, sika deer are capable of going under fencing that is eight inches off the ground, while red deer are capable of knocking down fences. Finally, the erection of a fence this size could also impact on the sensitive habitats within the park.

Photo of Paul CoghlanPaul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I appreciate everything the Minister said about the fire. It was very unfortunate that such an area was destroyed and that insect life, hares and ground-nesting birds were wiped out. Hopefully, officials will find out how the fire happened and where it started.

The Minister of State said the deer was a wild animal, but I referred to deer that were born in the national park and live within the park but encroach on its environs. I appreciate that it would be impossible to fence in the national park. Much of it is high-walled but there are some select points where deer fencing would bring results and prevent them from wandering out. Some of the existing fencing is good but there are gaps and, on the western demesne alone, some 200 deer wander daily from the park onto the Castlemaine Hotel grounds and the Killarney golf courses of Killeen and Mahony's Point. I ask the Minister of State to consider fencing at certain pinch points, especially at Ballydowney and, even more so, Gortroe. I appreciate that only rangers can shoot deer within the park in season and it would be totally irresponsible to license anybody else to do so when so many members of the public wander freely around.

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I will bring the points made by the Senator to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Madigan. Deer management is a complex and multifaceted process. There is a significant challenge in attempting to balance the demands of agriculture, forestry and conservation with the need to ensure the deer population, occupying the same land resources, are managed at sustainable levels and in a responsible and ethical manner. I thank the Senator for his comments about the work done in response to the fire.

Photo of Denis O'DonovanDenis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State. Killarney National Park is a wonderful treasure. I was sad when I read that so much damage had been done. It is an amazing feature to have in any county and the Senator is very fortunate to have such a wonderful facility. I hope it can be protected long after we are gone.

Photo of Paul CoghlanPaul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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It will take a few years to recover but please God.

Photo of Denis O'DonovanDenis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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It is very sad because at this time of the year birds are nesting and all sorts of natural life is being destroyed.