I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 to 152, inclusive, together.
A person who wishes to hunt deer in the State is required to be in possession of a licence issued by my Department on an annual basis under the Wildlife Acts. The hunting season for deer is regulated by the Open Seasons Order which prescribes the periods for the hunting of various deer species; these periods operate generally from I September to the end of February depending on the species and gender of the deer. The hunting of red deer is totally prohibited in the county of Kerry at any time of the year while there is a 12-month open season for Muntjac deer as it is considered to be an invasive species. Over 4,600 licences were issued for the 2013/14 deer hunting season, some 193 of which were issued to individuals in County Waterford. There are a number of standard conditions on each licence, including that the holder of a licence must have the permission of the landowner to enter lands to hunt.
My Department is aware of the illegal killing of deer in certain areas of the country and officials from the Department have carried out an increased number of patrols in such cases including in County Waterford. There has been a series of prosecutions in recent months involving illegal deer hunting in counties Carlow, Kerry and Wicklow. In addition, there are a number of on-going cases and investigations involving officers from the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department and An Garda Síochána relating to illegal deer hunting.