Minister Michael Healy Rae, Jason Fleming Chairman Kerry IFA and John O’ Sullivan secetary Kerry IFA at the public meeting in the Killarney Heights Hotel last Monday evening. Photo by Seamus Healy.
From left, Cllr. John O’ Donoghue, Minister Michael Healy Rae, Jason Fleming Kerry IFA Chairman and John O’ Sullivan Kerry IFA Secetary at the public meeting in The Killarney Heights Hotel last Monday evening. Photo Seamus Healy.
The members of the public at last Mondays meeting in the Killarney Heights Hotel
A call has been made by farming representatives in Kerry that a ‘Bounty’ should be introduced try and control the numbers of deer roaming roads and destroying farms.
A ‘Bounty’ would incentivise hunters to control deer numbers, according to farmers, who earlier this week held a meeting to discuss the growing deer problem in the county.
The meeting led by the IFA in Kerry and attended by political representatives including Minister Michael Healy-Rae heard about the problems caused by deer.
Fianna Fáil TD, Michael Cahill said the deer population in Kerry has risen enormously in recent years, so much so that there isn’t a field, garden or road in the county that hasn’t been visited by them.
“Everybody is aware that the Red and Sika deer have moved far beyond the confines of Killarney National Park, roaming freely through Kerry, damaging crops and gardens and are a real threat to life and limb on our roads. They also are known to be carriers of the tick that spreads Lyme disease, a severely debilitating ailment, requiring critical treatment,” stated Deputy Cahill.
“The efforts to date in culling the herds, has not been successful and it is clear that we must reassess what solutions are available to us. Our farming body representatives are among the stakeholders who should be consulted with and all possible solutions considered, to bring about an improvement in our present state of affairs.”
‘Bounties’ were previously successfully introduced for other culls such as foxes and seals and Deputy Cahill has called on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and its Minster Martin Heydon to consider this measure. He has submitted a parliamentary question on the proposal.
“I believe that it is important to incentivise hunters to control deer numbers and assist in preventing accidents/tragedies in County Kerry by introducing such a ‘Bounty’,” he said.