Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 341: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of persons licensed to shoot deer; when the deer shooting season begins and ends; if he will confirm on a county basis the number of wildlife wardens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34690/11]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Licences to hunt deer are issued by my Department on an annual basis to individuals under the Wildlife Acts. Over 4,200 such licences have been issued to date this year. The hunting season for deer is regulated by the Open Seasons Order. The current open season for most deer species, including Red, Fallow and Sika, operates from 1 September to 28 February, depending on the gender and age of deer. The hunting of red male deer is prohibited in the county of Kerry during the open season. There is a 12-month open season for Muntjac deer as it is considered to be an invasive species.

As well as more senior regionally based officers of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department, there are some seventy five NPWS conservation rangers stationed around the country who deal with enforcement matters under the Wildlife Acts; many of these officers carry out work in more than one county. In addition, members of an Garda Síochána have enforcement powers under these Acts.