Healy-Rae hits out at RSA over failure to address Killarney deer collision crisis

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae has launched an attack on the Road Safety Authority (RSA), accusing the body of failing to address the severe and growing danger of wild deer roaming onto public roads around Killarney National Park and wider rural Kerry.

Speaking at a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food, the Kerry TD directly challenged senior RSA officials over the lack of any meaningful national awareness campaigns regarding deer strikes, despite the authority's massive marketing budget.

Figures raised by Deputy Healy-Rae revealed that out of more than €26 million spent by the RSA on media campaigns between 2019 and 2024, less than €40,000 was directed toward animal-related road safety issues. He described the disparity as an insult to local motorists facing a daily hazard.

"Anybody living in Killarney and rural Kerry knows the severe danger roaming deer pose on our public roads," Deputy Healy-Rae said. "In areas surrounding the National Park and across the county, collisions and near-misses are happening constantly. Yet the RSA spends eye-watering amounts of taxpayers’ money every year on glossy advertising campaigns while completely ignoring the deer crisis."

During the committee exchange, RSA officials admitted that deer pose a genuine danger on Irish roads but confirmed they had not sought specific meetings with the Government or Ministers to address the issue. Deputy Healy-Rae also warned that deer-related crashes are heavily under-reported, with the financial and physical toll falling entirely on local families.

"Ordinary working people are paying the price for this neglect," he added. "Cars are being written off, people are being injured, and terrifying near-misses are a weekly reality on our local roads. People in Kerry are sick of being forgotten about by national bodies. Rural realities matter, and we need urgent, targeted safety messaging before more serious accidents occur."

Following the tense exchange, RSA officials committed to examining targeted campaigns for high-risk collision areas, a move the Kerry TD welcomed but insisted must be delivered with immediate urgency.