Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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972. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to an incident of inappropriate snaring of animals (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38109/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department's TB wildlife programme was capturing badgers using stopped restraints in the locality at that time. The Department's use of stopped restraints is in compliance with the Wildlife Act specifications and is licensed by the National Parks and Wildlife. At the site mentioned, the restraints were all placed on private agricultural land, which, at that time, were stubble fields, with the consent of the landowner. The restraints had been set the previous evening and the sites were visited at 8am in the morning by DAFM staff and contractors and the badgers removed as per normal procedures. No excessive injuries were present.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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973. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the guidelines under which Department employees or those working on behalf of his Department set snares or other traps for badgers will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38110/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department has detailed procedures on how sites are surveyed and treated. These are in relation to both badger vaccination which is the predominant activity and badger removal. The process for removal is initiated by a veterinary epidemiological investigation detailing the requirement for a wildlife intervention. Thereafter, the Department's wildlife officers follow procedures in relation to surveying farms for badger activity, supervising badger capture and removal. The removed badgers are then independently assessed for injury. Very few instances of injuries more serious than mild bruising are found – less than 1%. However, those instances are all followed up and investigated individually.