Senator asks for cull of 'invading' seagulls after woman has phone stolen
The issue of seagulls has been raised in the Seanad again, with the birds being described as "endangering society" and a call for a cull.
Senator Ned O'Sullivan called for action against the birds last year - and yesterday British Prime Minister David Cameron called for their protected status to be scrapped after attacks on people and animals.
This afternoon Senator Denis O'Donovan said action against the birds is needed.
He said: "I'm asking for a debate on this very important issue. Seagulls are actually becoming a nuisance and a pest.
"I think it's important that we should consider Senator O'Sullivan's request last year that we should look at a cull on this vicious seabird, which is against our grain, they were normally living out at sea.
"They nest on the cliffs, but they are now invading the towns and the villages."
It comes after a Dublin woman, Vanessa Keegan, had her phone stolen by a seagull in the National Botanic Gardens recently.
Clonsilla woman Vanessa spoke this morning about how the bird swooped during her family trip to the gardens.
She said: "So I turned back to take more photographs of the baby and my daughter Caroline said 'Mam he has your phone' - and I turned around and he just had my phone in his beak and he just flew right up over my shoulders.
"I jumped up and there were two gardeners there (who) saw what happened...and we all started chasing a seagull.
"But it veered over a pond and just dropped it straight into the middle of the pond."
