Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 November 2020
973. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the guidelines under which Department employees or those working on behalf of his Department set snares or other traps for badgers will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38110/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department has detailed procedures on how sites are surveyed and treated. These are in relation to both badger vaccination which is the predominant activity and badger removal. The process for removal is initiated by a veterinary epidemiological investigation detailing the requirement for a wildlife intervention. Thereafter, the Department's wildlife officers follow procedures in relation to surveying farms for badger activity, supervising badger capture and removal. The removed badgers are then independently assessed for injury. Very few instances of injuries more serious than mild bruising are found – less than 1%. However, those instances are all followed up and investigated individually.
