AGRICULTURE MINISTER CHARLIE McConalogue today launched a new initiative to ask the public what they think should be done to control the nation’s deer population.

The purpose of the consultation is to gather views on issues relating to deer management, the impact of increased deer numbers on a variety of issues such as forestry, biodiversity, road safety, animal health and welfare and the welfare of the deer themselves, a joint statement from McConalogue and Heritage Minister Darragh O’Brien read.

Currently, managed culls, overseen by a qualified vet, take place in areas such as the Phoenix Park a number of times every year to keep the deer population under control.

Launching the consultation, Minister McConalogue said: “For agriculture as well as our natural ecosystems, it is important that we are aware of the need for the sustainable management of our national deer population. These include the protection of biodiversity, newly planted forestry, pasture and crops, road safety, animal health, public health, and not least the health and welfare of the deer themselves.

A number of animal rights groups have raised concerns about the practice over the years, saying that other methods of population control could be introduced such as using contraception or moving the animals to bigger areas.

The OPW previously said there are no contraceptives licensed for use in free-living deer in Ireland. A spokesperson said the Irish Deer Society and similar associations in the UK “fully endorse humane culling as best practice in deer herd management”.

Minister O’Brien added: “Deer are an important part of our natural and cultural heritage. They have benefited in recent decades from protection under the Wildlife Acts and their number and range has been increasing. This expansion in deer numbers can bring challenges for landowners and for biodiversity. The management of deer in Ireland has many facets and it is important that all stakeholders have an opportunity to feed into the process. Minister McConalogue and I encourage everyone with an interest in deer in Ireland to take part in this survey.”

Interested parties can share their views by completing the online survey available on the Government of Ireland website at gov.ie