merrion street

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan T.D., has noted the recent prosecution in Bray District Court on 14 January, 2014 of a person convicted and fined a total of €1,350 for a variety of offences under the Wildlife Acts including hunting deer without a licence. The person’s firearm was also confiscated.

This prosecution follows on from other convictions in recent months involving illegal deer hunting outside the Open Season in Carlow and Kerry. Deer hunting is regulated under the Open Season Order which set outs the dates which allow the hunting of deer species. Persons are required to be in a possession of a licence from the Department in order to hunt deer during the Open Season.

The Department is aware of the illegal killing of deer in certain areas of the country and officials from the Department have carried out increased number of patrols, including night patrols, in such cases.

The Minister said “I know the vast majority of deer hunters are law abiding but it is not acceptable that certain hunters are flouting the law. My Department will pursue those hunters who are acting illegally and bring them to court.”

There are a number of on-going cases and investigations involving officers from the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department and An Garda Síochána relating to illegal deer hunting.