Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

The Minister indicated that he will consider the Labour Party amendment on culling female deer between May and September in the context of the licensing regime. When the possibility that section 3 may prohibit deer stalking or culling was raised with the Minister and his officials, he stated that was not his intention. I understand that his officials were to revert to the Wild Deer Association of Ireland with an amendment which would address the issue but this meeting never happened. The Wild Deer Association of Ireland is not completely satisfied with the Minister's amendment. He is prohibiting an activity and then introducing an amendment to make an exception to this prohibition. In effect, he is creating a mess he will have to clean up by means of an amendment.

When I first read section 3 I wondered what it was doing in the Bill given that it has nothing to do with the Ward Union Hunt. The only reason I can see for its inclusion was to prevent a loophole being used after he banned the hunt. He was afraid that people would use the licensing provisions under section 29 to hunt deer on horseback with hounds. In this case, however, they do so without licences and can shoot the deer. He is now trying to row back on the section to allow deer culling. However, will his amendment simply reopen the loophole he is attempting to close? He may be driving this activity in the direction where it will not be licensed or regulated. I do not think anybody, including the Ward Union Hunt, wants that. If he did not intend to prohibit deer stalking or culling, why did he include section 3 in the Bill?

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