Wildlife Conservation

Thursday, 13 November 2025

Questions (390, 391)

John Brady

Question:

390. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide details on the deer management strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62699/25]

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391. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide details on deer management units, including the locations, number of staff, and their remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62700/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

I propose to take Questions Nos. 390 and 391 together.

My Department, along with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage established the Irish Deer Management Strategy group to develop a strategy for the sustainable management of deer in Ireland. The Group comprised representatives from my Department, National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Coillte. A report was published into “Developing a Sustainable Deer Management Strategy for Ireland” in December 2023.

The report listed 16 Actions, 8 of which are recommended in the short term and 8 of which are recommended in the medium term. These recommended actions address a wide range of issues from hunter training and forest design to land use management and the venison market. The report concluded that a formal structure was required to manage deer in Ireland, which involved the appointment of a Programme Manager to implement the recommendations of the report and the establishment of local deer management units in known hot spot areas.

My Department is committed to progressing the implementation of the actions identified by the Irish Deer Management Strategy Group (IDMSG) in this report. The Programme Manager, who has been appointed, will work closely with the IDMSG, my Department and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in prioritising and the implementation of the short term recommendations identified in the report.

15 dedicated Deer Management Units (DMUs) have been established in areas of the country that are well-known hot spots for wild deer. These DMUs aim to give the best geographic coverage in order to reduce the density of deer in these areas. Local co-ordinators have been appointed to lead the 15 dedicated DMUs.

The Programme Manager, through the local deer management units, will be liaising with licensed hunters and landowners in relation to the management of deer populations within the deer management units. Deer can continue to be culled by appropriate licensed hunters within the hunting season and with the use of Section 42 licenses issued by the NPWS outside the hunting season.

Question No. 391 answered with Question No. 390.