Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 November 2019
487. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status and work of the deer management forum; the measures being taken to contain the wild deer population in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47557/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Irish Deer Management Forum (IDMF) was established by my Department and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (DCHG) in 2015. The purpose of the Forum is to facilitate, through improved stakeholder cooperation, implementation of the actions laid out in the document ‘Deer Management in Ireland – A Framework for Action’.
The first term of the IDMF ran between March 2015 and March 2018, chaired by Ms. Judith Annett. During this term, it recommended new actions and coordinated activities of various stakeholders groups on the ground. It also established four working groups - Communications and Best Practice, TB in Deer, Data and Research, and Deer Conflict Areas. It also set up an IDMF website - www.deerforum.ie . - to make available best practice materials for deer management.
Whether in Tipperary or any other county, landowners are responsible for the management of deer on their own lands and may apply for licences from DCHG to control deer. Any issues related to deer conservation or the licensing to control deer should be directed to that Department. My Department and DCHG have provided funding in the past to Deer Management Groups to facilitate coordination between landowners and hunters.
