Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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344. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding his Department's testing of deer for tuberculosis (details supplied) in County Wicklow; his plans to expand the study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22966/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I refer to my reply to the Deputy on 10th June (22576/15) in connection with the survey conducted by my Department on the incidence of TB in deer in a small area of County Wicklow. In that reply, I explained that further laboratory analysis of cultures is ongoing is relation to tissue taken from the deer to identify linkages between the TB found in deer, badgers and cattle. This work has not been completed yet. My Department monitors the incidence of TB in wild deer nationally through the analysis of suspect lesions or carcases submitted by farmers and hunters who are permitted to slaughter deer under license from the Department of the Environment. Submissions of deer since 1^stJanuary 2014 from farmers and hunters to our Regional Veterinary Laboratories indicate very low levels of TB in wild deer in all areas with the exception of parts of Wicklow. These findings indicate that TB is not a problem in wild deer in these areas and is unlikely to be a contributory factor to TB breakdowns in cattle herds.

As I indicated to the Deputy in my reply to a Question of 10 June, responsibility for wild deer rests with my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht under the Wildlife Acts. The findings in relation to the Wicklow deer study will be considered by the recently established Irish Deer Management Forum (IDMF) which will assess the findings and make appropriate recommendations in relation to all aspects of deer management for Wicklow and nationally.