Public urged to report sightings of grey squirrels

The public is being asked to keep their eyes open for grey squirrels as part of a national survey to detect whether the pest’s numbers are continuing to increase — at the expense of the native red squirrel.

The last all-Ireland squirrel survey took place five years ago. It found that grey squirrels had not penetrated counties Cork and Kerry nor west of the Shannon to counties Clare, Galway, Mayo and Sligo.

The Shannon had acted as a natural barrier.