Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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675. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the interim report by an organisation (details supplied); his views on policy actions to manage the spreading of tuberculosis via deer in the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9811/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I understand that the Group examined the impact of deer on a range of issues including on grass and grazing, damage to trees and to private gardens by deer and on TB levels in the West Wicklow area. The report proposes an all Wicklow approach to tackling the impact of deer on bovine TB and to the management of a cull.

I should explain that, while I am aware of the concerns expressed by farmers in the Wicklow area about the negative impact of deer on the incidence of TB in the area and on pasture and forestry, responsibility for wild deer rests with the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.  However, both our Departments have been actively engaging with stakeholders in the area and we have decided on a number of initiatives aimed at addressing these issues,  particularly in relation to the potential impact of the high density of deer on TB levels in the county.

In light of the findings of earlier research which revealed a high incidence of TB in deer in the Calary area of Co. Wicklow, a Steering Group was established in late 2016 to oversee a reduction in the deer density in that area.  The Group is comprised of representatives of local farmers, the Irish Deer Management Forum (IDMF), the Wicklow Deer Management Partnership (WDMP), the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Arts Heritage, regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The Steering Group has appointed a local co-ordinator to manage the project. The co-ordinator is responsible for organising local hunters to implement the density reduction programme, liaising with landowners in the area, collecting and storing samples for scientific analysis and reporting regularly to the Steering Group on progress. Funding for the project has been made available by both Departments.

My Department is also in the process of organising a wider study on the prevalence of TB in deer in Wicklow as a whole. Samples will be collected from culled deer across the entire county and will be subject to detailed analysis with a view to determining the linkage between TB in deer and TB in cattle in the area. In addition, my Department is funding a proof-of-concept pilot deer fencing project to demonstrate to farmers how fencing may prevent deer from gaining access to lands.  

In addition to dealing with the deer problem, my Department has increased the intensity of its approach to the management of bovine TB in Co. Wicklow.  All TB breakdowns in cattle herds are investigated by veterinary staff from the local offices and there is increased usage both of tuberculin and blood testing for TB in order to try and get ahead of the infection cycle.  Extra staff has been assigned to the badger programme and last year more badgers were removed from Co. Wicklow than from any other county apart from Cork.  The incidence of TB in West Wicklow has fallen by over 30% to date this year while TB levels in East Wicklow are currently only slightly higher than in the rest of the country.

I am confident that these initiatives will assist in addressing the issues raised by the Group in its interim report.