The response from Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue towards deer management in Ireland is “ridiculous”, according to Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath.
McGrath’s comments come following McConalogue’s announcement of the development of a series of recommendations by five sub-committees, in order to develop a strategy for sustainable management of the national deer population.
McGrath told Agriland that the minister’s response was “ridiculous” and said it would take “two years” for the committees to deliver an outcome.
He said: “Set up a committee? God help us if that’s his response.”
Deer management
Earlier this week (Tuesday June 27) in the Dáil, McGrath asked the minister to outline the plans in place to manage the increasing deer population.
The Tipperary TD asked what steps the government was going to take in response to a survey in which 86% of the 1,500 people who took part said a “culling of deer is needed”.
McConalogue announced the five sub-committees under the following headings:
- Legislation;
- Venison;
- Collaboration;
- Training / Education;
- Solutions for land management.
The minister said: “I am aware of the importance of the sustainable management of our national deer population for agriculture, forestry, as well as overall biodiversity within nature ecosystems.”
McGrath told Agriland: “I’ve land myself, and you could see 20 deer in the field. It’s the same as 20 cattle in the field.
“If you’re trying to feed cattle over the winter and the spring, a deer can come into the sheds and eat as much as a weanling.
“The country is overrun with deer, especially in rural parts where good land is,” he said.
“They’re wiping out farmers crops, their fences. Everything. They’ll have to do something very fast because its out of control.”
Deer
McGrath had previously raised the issue of deer culling in the Dáil.
Earlier this week he said: “It is causing havoc in every rural area and in urban areas as well. There is danger to life and limb due to car accidents and cars are being destroyed.”
Last week in the Dáil, Danny Healy-Rae asked: “Are we going to have more acres like the 26,000ac in the national park in Killarney completely overrun with deer that are out of control, killing people on our roads and robbing farmers’ grazing?
“For decades, people were vilified and criminalised by environmentalists if they touched a deer. Now, the same environmentalists are saying that the deer will have to be culled to help biodiversity.”