WEST Cork needs a cull of deer because the overpopulation of deer herds is causing traffic chaos, councillors in Cork have said.
Cllr Finbarr Harrington (Ind) called on the Council to liaise with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and introduce a cull to address ‘a major problem and many traffic accidents on our public roads’.
Cllr Harrington also expressed concern about the possible spread of disease in both humans and farm animals.
‘I have received many calls from frustrated motorists, some of whom have had crashes,’ he said. ‘These incidents occur mostly at night and early in the morning.’
The Beara-based councillor spoke about one woman from Urhan who accidentally struck a deer that wandered onto the public highway. ‘It was a frightening experience for her and it cost €3,000 to repair her car,’ said the councillor, who went on to say there is a problem in many areas, including Derryminhan, as well as several locations on the busy ‘Bantry line’ to Cork city.
‘They are becoming a danger to our roads and there are links with TB in cattle … and they have been linked to an increase of Lyme Disease,’ he said. Cllr Joe Carroll (FF) said the sighting of deer is becoming more common. ‘If they jumped out in front of a car they’d do a fair bit of wreck,’ said Cllr Carroll.
Indeed Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy (FF) said his car hit a deer and found the experience to be ‘absolutely frightening’.
Cllr Daniel Sexton (Ind Ire) said the problem is widespread from Killarney to Kinsale and supported the motion calling for a humane cull of the deer herd population.
His colleague Cllr Danny Collins (Ind Ire) said the problem is so bad in Glengarriff that some families are afraid to leave their young children out in the garden to play. ‘They are also causing a lot of damage in places like Kealkil, Durrus, and Snave,’ he added, and pointed out that deer have become ‘a big issue on the Macroom bypass too.’
Cllr Noel O’Donovan (FG) said the National Parks and Wildlife Service ‘needs to step in and make a response. When nature is detriment to human life there are questions to be asked,’ he said. Social Democrat Cllr Isobel Towse was initially against a cull but after further research, said she now supported management of Sika deer numbers.
