John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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617. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of a deer management plan for Killarney National Park, County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8101/18]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I refer the Deputy to the Topical Issues debate on this matter in this House on Wednesday last, 14 February. As part of its regular on-going management operations, the Department carries out localised annual deer counts on State lands, when appropriate.

Deer have the potential to impact significantly on woodlands, including the iconic yew, oak and also wet woodlands, within the Park, e.g. by bark stripping of mature trees and preventing regeneration.

The Department commissioned 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 KNP. The study found that the total estimated red deer density over the entire study area of 13.64km2 was some 708 deer.

A further census of areas of the park was commissioned by NPWS Southern Division and conducted in spring 2017.

As part of the Department’s ongoing proactive management of the habitats and species in Killarney National Park, during 2018 it is proposed to conduct a Killarney National Park Deer Census. This work will be undertaken by external specialists. It is hoped to initiate this process shortly.