Deer cull would be a 'significant step' towards control of TB
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said that the growing deer population is a "considerable problem, and I will be actioning the recommendations immediately in the new year".
A proposed deer cull would be a "significant step" towards the control of TB in bovine herds, Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill said.
Deer overpopulation is a "major contributing factor" in the increasing rates of TB in cattle, with deer "straying from their habitats, mixing with cattle, and spreading infection", Mr Cahill has stressed.
The Irish Deer Management Strategy Group’s report on developing a sustainable deer management strategy for Ireland has been published in recent days.
The report includes a list of recommended actions addressing issues from hunter training and forest design to land use management and the venison market.
The report recommends in the short-term the setting up of deer management units in critical/hot spot areas initially, and to revise the deer open seasons order to align with the current dates in Northern Ireland.
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said that the growing deer population is a "considerable problem, and I will be actioning the recommendations immediately in the new year".
"This will include the creation of a deer management agency, the establishment of local deer management units, and changes to the open seasons order," Mr McConalogue said.
"However, the impact of deer proliferation extends far beyond this to road safety, animal health, public health, and not least the health and welfare of the deer themselves."
Jackie Cahill said that a deer cull proposal is "long overdue, and it is essential for a variety of reasons".
"One major issue many of us are familiar with, myself included, is the huge number of accidents that have occurred as a result of deer crossing on roads," Mr Cahill said.
"From a deer welfare point of view, their habitats are seriously overpopulated which is resulting in a lack of forage, and this is also driving them to travel outside of their habitats.
"Their population needs to be restored to optimal levels to ensure they have sufficient forage to flourish within their habitats."
Irish Farmers' Association animal health chairman TJ Maher said that it is recognised that deer densities in Wicklow in particular, but also in parts of Tipperary, Galway, Waterford, and Donegal are "above a sustainable level and that the wild deer are highly damaging to their surrounding environment".
"The overpopulation of wild deer has impacted farming, forestry, biodiversity, not to mention the role of wild deer in circulating TB amongst the bovine herd," Mr Maher said.
"All of this has resulted in significant financial strain and stress for farmers and landowners."
Pat McCormack of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association also welcomed the Government's "long overdue" commitment to a deer cull and a "more proactive approach" to managing the deer population.
Mr McCormack said that for at least a decade, farmers have been expressing mounting concerns about both the surge in deer numbers and their geographic expansion out of traditional areas of habitat.
He has urged Minister McConalogue to begin the cull in January 2024.
