Councillor says deers are an 'extreme danger' on county roads

Increased sightings of deer on roads in the west of the county has ignited calls from an independent councillor to introduce a policy in order to deal with the issue.

The Chairperson of the Glenties Municipal District, Cllr Michael McClafferty said: “I have been receiving calls about stags and deers running across roads in front of cars in the west of the county. Some of these calls came from the Dore and Dunlewey area and the other calls came from the Gaoth Dobhair area. I have been saying for some time that it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident. This issue needs to be dealt with now before something happens.”

The councillor said that many cars in the Glenties Municipal District had been damaged and added that people have the additional problem of not knowing who to claim from after an accident happens with a deer or stag.

In 2022, the Falcarragh-based councillor introduced a motion calling on Donegal County Council to organise a deer culling policy for the county - to cut the deer numbers down "in a humane way in the interests of road safety and to prevent the destruction of crops."

The motion was passed unanimously.

Cllr McClafferty said he will be asking at the earliest opportunity what has been done in relation to the motion.