Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

We will not be lectured to by a Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government who has no understanding of the pressures and traditions of those living in rural Ireland. They are sick and tired of being targeted by this Green Minister who turns his nose up at their way of life at every opportunity.

I am surprised Fianna Fáil Members have agreed to this legislation. Not one Member of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party spoke out against the approval of the revised programme for Government which included a commitment to ban stag hunting and the Ward Union Hunt. Why should any Fianna Fáil Member be surprised this Bill is debated here this evening when they could have opposed it as far back as November 2009?

We will see evidence of the representations those individual Deputies received and the commitments they have given when it comes to voting on this legislation. There is no point in having soothing noises afterwards. This is the opportunity for Members to tell the Minister enough is enough, that we do not want this legislation that will ban a countryside tradition and organisation that has been in place since 1824 and has been monitored and licensed by this State to ensure it carries out its responsibilities. I hope the narrow ideological agenda this legislation is pursuing will be seen for what it is and the House will reject this Bill on Second Stage.

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