The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) has welcomed progress being made by the Deer Management Strategy Group in addressing the “explosion” in deer numbers.
Speaking after a meeting of the group on Thursday (April 27) in Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Hugh Farrell, the ICSA animal health and welfare chairperson, said that the responses to a recent public consultation indicated a public will to address the rising population of the animal.
“Feedback from the Consultation on the Management of Deer in Ireland conducted by the group, which amassed more than 1,500 responses, confirmed there is strong public support for dealing with the explosion in numbers,” Farrell commented.
“Uncontrolled growth in deer is not good for biodiversity, for road safety, or for farming.”
According to Farrell, the there is also a growing recognition of the role of deer in the spread of TB.
“In regard to farming, the link between deer and the spread of TB has been established. Deer are part of the TB infection problem, and this cannot be ignored,” the ICSA representative said.
He added: “The establishment of the management strategy group and the work it is undertaking is a signal, that, at last, after years of ICSA lobbying, there is now a government recognition that something must be done.
“The days of turning a blind eye to uncontrolled expansion of deer and the impact on TB are surely over.”
Farrell called for better data on the numbers of these animals in Ireland.
“It is clear we need better information about how many deer are in the country, but it is beyond question that numbers have exploded,” he remarked.
According to Farrell, the ICSA “regularly” receives complaints from its members who have land adjacent to forestry, from where deer break in and “eat fields clean of grass”.
“The key now is for the [Deer Management Strategy Group] to devise an action plan, and the government must step up to the plate to support this with necessary funds and accountability,” he added.