Minister urged to address Wicklow deer TB concerns
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has been urged to publish a Wicklow-specific deer/bovine TB (tuberculosis) plan.
The query came from Fine Gael Wicklow TD Edward Timmins, citing the Comptroller and Auditor General’s 2025 review of the bovine TB eradication programme, which identified wildlife as a source of infection.
Deputy Timmins noted “evidence implicating wild deer in Wicklow” in the review.
He stated that he considers there to be “material implementation gap in the 2025 Bovine TB Action Plan” in respect to deer in Co. Wicklow, as badgers are "subject to defined test, vaccinate or remove measures while deer are not".
The TD asked if Minister Heydon will publish a Wicklow-specific deer/TB intervention plan.
Deputy Timmons mentioned “published evidence linking the growing Sika deer population in Co. Wicklow, with the persistence of bovine tuberculosis in Co. Wicklow”.
He asked the minister to confirm if he will establish and “appropriately resource a dedicated Wicklow Deer and TB Action Group”.
Deer management
Minister Heydon said that his department, along with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage established the Irish Deer Management Strategy group (IDMSG) to develop a strategy for the sustainable management of deer in Ireland.
He added: “The group comprised representatives from my department, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), and Coillte."
According to the minister, a report was published into ‘Developing a Sustainable Deer Management Strategy for Ireland’ in December 2023.
The report listed 16 actions, eight short-term and eight medium-term recommendations.
According to minister Heydon, the recommended actions address “a wide range of issues” from hunter training and forest design to land use management and the venison market.
He added: “The report concluded that a formal structure was required to manage deer in Ireland, which involved the appointment of a programme manager to implement the recommendations of the report and the establishment of local deer management units in known hotspot areas.”
Programme manager
While the minister did not mention a dedicated Wicklow/deer action group (or plans for same), he said that his department is “committed” to progressing the implementation of the actions identified by the IDMSG in the report.
Minister Heydon added: “The programme manager, who has been appointed, will work closely with the IDMSG, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the National Parks and Wildlife Service in prioritising and implementation of the short term recommendations identified in the report.
“The locations of the deer management units (DMUs) have been finalised.
“The locations of the DMUs is in response to what might be referred to as deer hotspots.
"These DMUs aim to give the best geographic coverage in order to reduce the density of deer in these areas.”
The minister said that the programme manager, through the local deer management units, will be liaising with licensed hunters and landowners in relation to the management of deer populations within the deer management units.
Minister Heydon added: “Deer continue to be culled by appropriate licensed hunters within the hunting season and with the use of Section 42 licenses issued by the NPWS outside the hunting season.
“Given the increase in deer numbers in all breeds there is a need to address this and so the management of Sika deer will be incorporated into the wider deer management measures.”
The minister acknowledged that the strategy group is also “aware of the high numbers of deer in Co. Wicklow and the evidence of the presence of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in deer in the county and there will be a focus on Co. Wicklow in their work”.
He added: “The NPWS has specific responsibilities regarding the management and control of wild deer in Ireland.”
TB in Wickow
Last month, a councillor in Co. Wicklow called for further action to be taken on bTB as he warned of farms being "wiped out".
Councillor Gerry O'Neill told Agriland he tabled a motion in relation to bTB, which was passed unanimously at Wicklow County Council's meeting in June.
The motion stated that the members of Wicklow County Council "express our concern regarding the increasing prevalence of tuberculosis in humans and in livestock in the country and county".
The motion also called on councillors to invite representatives of DAFM to "attend a future meeting of the council to discuss the situation and how it can be dealt with and the members would also welcome a presentation on deer management".
