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There are no plans to fence Killarney National Park for deer management purposes, Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan has said.
“Fencing is simply not a viable solution and would not achieve the desired results for a number of reasons.
“Firstly, the presence of the species is not confined to the national parks and consequently fencing of these properties would serve no practical purpose in terms of wild deer control or management.
The erection of a fence this size could impact on the sensitive habitats within the park
“Secondly, the park is over 10,000ha in size, including some rugged terrain. Fencing this area would be an enormous task that is unlikely to result in the desired objective. Thirdly, some smaller animals are capable of going under fencing that is 8in off the ground, while others are capable of knocking down fences.
“Finally, the erection of a fence this size could also impact on the sensitive habitats within the park,” she said.
Minister Madigan was responding to a parliamentary question from Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae on the issue of deer in the county.
Permits
She told him that the management of deer outside of the national park and in the wider Killarney valley area is a matter for private landholders and culling and control of the deer is not the responsibility of her Department, beyond the issuing of section 42 permits.
“While the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department licenses the hunting of the animals, the Department does not own the population. They are wild animals and they roam freely throughout the countryside.
“Wild animals in the State are protected under the Wildlife Acts. However, there is an annual open season during which this species can be legally shot under licence. The open season operates generally from 1 September to the last day of February, depending on the species and gender.
“Landowners may also apply to the Department for a permission under section 42 of the Wildlife Acts to cull where necessary outside the annual open seasons. These permissions offer a facility whereby a person can obtain a permit, on a case-by-case basis, to prevent serious damage caused by individual animals on specific lands. Permissions are only issued where there is evidence of such damage,” she said.
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