Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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488. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures that will be implemented to deal with the increasing prevalence of wild deer, particularly in view of dangers posed to many motorists by deer running wild on public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21322/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, policy responsibility for road safety lies within the Department of Transport and responsibility for deer and other wildlife resides with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) , within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

I am aware of the importance of the sustainable management of our national deer population for agriculture, as well as our nature ecosystems. In order to address this the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and I convened the Deer Management Strategy group last Autumn, under the Chairmanship of Teddy Cashman. On foot of a recommendation of the strategy group a public consultation on the management of deer was launched late last year. This was the first major public consultation into the impact of deer and it received over 1,500 submissions from all over the country and all walks of life.

Some of the findings of the public consultation are that the main concerns regarding the impacts of deer to emerge from the consultation were biodiversity loss / damage (82%), damage to agricultural crops / grazing (81%), road safety issue (80%), preventing the establishment of new forests (71%) and a role in the epidemiology of TB in cattle (67%). Submissions also outlined that in order to tackle the problems raised by deer, 86% of the survey’s respondents said culling of deer is needed. Some 78% said supports for landowners to manage deer is required while 69% said a domestic venison industry should be expanded.

The Deer Management Strategy Group will now progress the process by convening a series of stakeholder working groups to develop recommendations to managing the deer population effectively. These working groups will focus on development of the venison market, encouraging collaboration among stakeholders, necessary legislative changes, training and education initiatives and land management solutions.

The Deer Management Strategy Group hope to publish the final report in the early Autumn on the sustainable management of the deer population. These recommendations will involve a collaborative effort from a wide variety of stakeholders. My officials continue to assist the Deer Management Strategy Group in progressing this report.