Ten protected birds of prey have been poisoned across the Republic in recent weeks.

One of the red kites had been released in Northern Ireland and was found dead in Co Kildare. The re-introduction of birds of prey into the wild in the Republic may now have to be abandoned.

Gardai and the Irish Department of Agriculture are investigating.

The Golden Eagle Trust last night warned it would be “difficult” to continue its ambitious re-introduction of the protected species if the killings continue.

Norway allows Ireland to collect 20 fledglings a year to re-establish the white-tailed eagle, but the continuing spate of poisonings has “cast a shadow” over the programme's future, the trust said.

Two red kites and a peregrine were found dead in Wicklow in the last month, a third red kite released in Northern Ireland was found dead in Kildare and a golden eagle was killed in Leitrim.

Three buzzards, including one which had recovered from poisoning, were found in Waterford, Cork and Donegal. All of these were poisoned by ingesting meat baits laced with Alphachloralose.

In the last two weeks two white-tailed eagles were found dead near Beaufort in Kerry. Toxicology analyses at the State Laboratory confirmed both had been poisoned by carbofuran, a substance previously used as a pesticide but now illegal.

Both birds were in excellent condition and had survived in the wild since being released in 2007.

“The loss of a further two white-tailed eagles at this time is devastating”, said Dr Allan Mee, manager of the White-tailed Eagle Reintroduction Project in Kerry.

“The older male could have been one of the first birds to breed in the wild in Ireland in over 100 years had it survived. That it was in such good condition at the time of its death makes its loss even more tragic. We know eagles can thrive in Kerry if given the chance but indiscriminate poisoning is literally killing our chances of re-establishing a population here.”

“We have now lost seven of the 15 eagles released in 2007,” Dr Mee said.

An amendment to the Wildlife Act outlawing all use of poison on meat baits is imminent, he added. Farmers found to have used poison to kill the birds, which are protected, face loss of EU payments.