Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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666. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department has plans to cull mink in the wild in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18852/21]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department has published a comprehensive review of the status of the mink in Ireland as part of its Irish Wildlife Manuals series. This review also examined various management strategies for mink control and explored the feasibility of eradicating the species from the country. Based on experiences in other countries and taking into account developments in monitoring and management practices, it was estimated that eradicating mink in the wild from the island of Ireland would cost in the order of €100m over 5 years. The full report can be accessed here:

For now, my Department's strategy prioritizes the protection of important ground-nesting bird sites from predators, including invasive species such as mink. In that regard, I do not have plans to initiate a general cull of mink in the wild.