Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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I thank the ICC for the report and there are some positives to be acknowledged in it. However, it is no secret that I am against live hare coursing. I have tried to get it banned and I will continue to try to do that. While our emphasis this evening has been on the greyhounds, there is tremendous suffering for the hares also. We have list after list, catalogue after catalogue, after each hare coursing meeting, legal and illegal, of the tossing, the mauling and the injuries to the hares. Hares die or have to be put down afterwards, not to mention what happens with the netting of the hares, both legal and illegal. We know the hare is a solitary creature yet, in this netting process, it is brought into confined space with a lot of other hares.

Many other countries have banned live hare coursing and have turned to drag coursing.

Why is that not even being considered? There is an animal welfare issue regarding to the hare, which is an iconic animal in Irish culture and mythology.

How many coursing meetings does the ICC test at? Is testing done at only certain meetings? Is it all random? Are they announced or unannounced?

The fines are meagre compared to the prize money. How many owners were suspended? How much was collected in fines?

I am bemused that if the greyhound tests positive, it is suspended. The greyhound is not responsible for taking the drugs. Why is the owner not suspended during the testing process?

Is Mr. Histon saying that the Whiddy Island trapping was legal because it was an associative club? There is very clear evidence of the injuries, mauling and tossing of hares, but it seems that is fine.