The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has poured cold water on calls to reintroduce wolves to Ireland.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan had called for the reintroduction of the predator to help rewild parts of the countryside.

The last wolf in Ireland was killed near Mount Leinster in 1786.

Mr Ryan said their reintroduction would create a real sense of wilderness and help develop more resilient woodlands.

However, Minister Josepha Madigan has said her department has no plans to reintroduce the species.

In a tweet, she said that the reintroduction of a large predator that had been absent for 250 years might undermine existing conservation programmes.

My Department, @DeptAHG has no plans to reintroduce wolves in Ireland.



The reintroduction of a large predator which has been absent for 250 years might undermine existing conservation programmes and would do considerable damage to farming. https://t.co/qbx46JCOn8 — ⚖️Josepha Madigan (@josephamadigan) October 1, 2019

Ms Madigan also said their reintroduction would do considerable damage to farming.

Meanwhile, a Dáil motion, being brought forward by the Greens, is calling for a switch away from short-rotation plantations to more natural woodlands.

"It is now time to change our ways and restore nature in every Irish landscape, neighbourhood, farm, home and street," Mr Ryan said.