The Deer Management Strategy Group is due to publish its final report before the end of the year, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has said.
The group, chaired by dairy farmer Teddy Cashman, is made up of representatives from the DAFM, National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Coillte.
It was reconvened last year for the first time in four years as part of the government’s efforts to eradicate bovine tuberculosis (TB).
Deer management group
The Deer Management Strategy Group held a number of meetings in late 2022 and earlier this year.
A public consultation in the form of an online survey also took place asking people to share their views on key issues relating to deer management in Ireland.
The results showed that more than 86% of the 1,500 people who took part in the survey said a “culling of deer is needed”.
Respondents said the national deer herd is “damaging biodiversity”, along with agricultural crops and grazing and preventing the establishment of new forests.
80% of people said that deer pose a road safety issue, while 67% believe the animals have a role in the epidemiology of TB in cattle.
Following the results of the public consultation, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue announced that five sub-committees would be established under the following headings:
- Legislation;
- Venison;
- Collaboration;
- Training / education;
- Solutions for land management.
“The areas the sub-committees focused on were based on the concerns and issues raised during the consultative process,” a DAFM spokesperson told Agriland.
The sub-committees were composed of a “wide and diverse group of stakeholders”, ranging from representatives from government departments; semi-state bodies; farming representative organisations and hunting groups; as well as ecologists; game handlers and restaurateurs.
The meetings of these sub-committees took place across the months of June and July.
“The Deer Management Group reconvened in early August to consider the findings of the meetings.
“The group will meet again in the coming weeks and a report is expected to be published in the autumn,” the DAFM spokesperson added.