Mayo Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony has welcomed the decision by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Denihan, to provide funding for a bounty for the killing of wild mink to the National Association of Regional Game Councils. Deputy O’Mahony said he raised the issue of wild mink in Mayo with Minister Deenihan and he was delighted that the details of the bounty had been announced.
“The presence of wild mink in Mayo is significant and has caused many problems, particularly in relation to the effect they have had on ground nesting birds. Farmers and landowners are concerned insofar as the effect that they are having on wildlife and poultry.
“Minister Deenihan has met with the National Regional Game Councils, who have been actively promoting mink control, and the result of it is the bounty that has just been announced. The Minister has committed €20,000 towards the bounty scheme and it will be paid to hunters based on the number of mink killed,” he said.
Deputy O’Mahony said that, because of the prevalence of mink in the west, Minister Deenihan has requested that special attention be given to Mayo, Galway, Donegal, and Kerry. “Wild mink are causing a lot of hardship for people throughout the county and this bounty will help in dealing with the matter,” he said.
