Vol. 532 No. 3
135 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the action which has been taken by Dúchas to assess the health status of feral goats in the Burren National Park in the context of the foot and mouth disease scare; when the last cull was undertaken; if there are plans for another cull; and if any action has been taken to restrict the activity of the national park herds. [7301/01]
The feral goats in the Burren National Park are not the property of my Department. They are the responsibility of the landowner on whose lands they are found. Feral goats are wild animals, but are not a protected species for which I have responsibility under the Wildlife Act.
Since the recent alert in relation to foot and mouth disease, Dúchas, the heritage service of my Department, has been in ongoing consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development regarding the implications of the situation for all wildlife, including feral goats. While I understand that feral goats can contract foot and mouth disease and carry the disease, veterinary advice from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development is that no action is necessary at this time in relation to these animals. Consequently, no assessment of the health status of these animals, in the context of the foot and mouth disease scare, has been made by my Department.
The last cull of feral goats took place in June 1994 and there are no immediate plans for a further cull. The numbers of feral goats in the park are monitored by my Department. No action has been taken to restrict their activity as this would be impractical.
