Wild deer in the State are protected under the Wildlife Acts. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department issues licences to hunt deer under the Wildlife Act 1976, and actively manages deer on its own property. However, the NPWS does not own the deer population. Deer populations by their nature are mobile and have a home range that is not constrained by landownership boundaries.
Deer management in Ireland is being managed through the Irish Deer Management Strategy Group (IDMSG) established in 2022 by the Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM) with support from my Department and it includes officials from the NPWS and Coillte. The role of the IDMSG is to develop initiatives to ensure sustainable deer numbers while achieving the objectives of landowners ranging from biodiversity, forestry, agriculture, animal health and road safety. The group published its report “Developing a Sustainable Deer Management Strategy for Ireland” in December 2023.
The NPWS is currently undertaking an important project to update wildlife legislation, including the Wildlife Act 1976, the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000, the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 and significant regulations made under these provisions. The project is examining closely the effectiveness of our legislation in protecting wildlife and regulating activities that adversely impact on wildlife and biodiversity.
A number of the recommendations set out in the IDMSG report relates to legislative changes and one of these, to align the deer hunting season to Northern Ireland, was delivered shortly after the report was published. The other legislative recommendations, including provision for clearer licensing arrangements in respect of public health and safety, are being considered in this overall review of the legislation.
