Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien have today (Wednesday, December 21) launched a new public consultation on deer management.
The views gathered through the consultation will be used in the development of the Deer Management Strategy.
The initiative, being coordinated by the Deer Management Strategy Group, will gather opinions how increased numbers of deer have impacted on forestry, biodiversity, road safety and animal health and welfare.
The group, chaired by Teddy Cashman, was convened earlier this year by Minister McConalogue to continue the work of the Irish Deer Management Forum (IDMF).
It is tasked with developing a sustainable deer management strategy for Ireland in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
The group comprises officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Coillte.
Launching the consultation, Minister Charlie McConalogue said:
“For agriculture as well as our nature ecosystems, it is important that we aware of the need for the sustainable management of our national deer population.
“These include the protection of biodiversity, newly planted forestry, pasture and crops, road safety, animal health, public health, and not least the health and welfare of the deer themselves.
“I encourage all interested parties, be that individuals, groups or associations to make their views known to the consultation so that the deer can be managed in a sustainable way in the future,” McConalogue said.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien added:
“Deer are an important part of our natural and cultural heritage. They have benefited in recent decades from protection under the Wildlife Acts and their number and range has been increasing.
“This expansion in deer numbers can bring challenges for landowners and for biodiversity.
“The management of deer in Ireland has many facets and it is important that all stakeholders have an opportunity to feed into the process,” he said.
Anyone wishing to share their views can complete the online survey on the Government of Ireland website (www.gov.ie).
The closing date for submissions is 5:00p.m on Friday, February 10, 2023.