John O'Donoghue
Question:66 Mr. O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Finance if he will arrange for adequate fencing to be erected at Tormies, Beaufort, Killarney, County Kerry, to prevent deer trespassing on adjoining farms.
Written Answers. - Fencing in of Killarney Deer.
I presume the Deputy is referring to the native red deer herd passing from Killarney National Park lands onto other lands which adjoin it. Deer are wild animals and cannot "trespass" on lands in the legal sense. Part of the range of the red deer herd is within the national park but a significant portion is actually outside the park. The herd have never been enclosed within the park, as it would be both impractical and undesirable to do so.
While there is no legal obligation to erect fencing to prevent a wild species from passing between the park and private holdings, the Office of Public Works are prepared in the interest of good neighbourly relations to provide fencing materials to landowners in the Tomies area provided the landowners maintain any fences they erect.