Mary Wallace (Meath East, Fianna Fail)

I wish to share time with Deputy Mattie McGrath.

I ask everyone to reflect on what we are trying to achieve with this legislation. This is not a simplistic issue and its deep implications need to be highlighted and debated. The Bill was published on 20 April. It has been suggested that stag hunting should cease for animal welfare and public safety reasons and I want to challenge this rationale. I also want to challenge both the alleged concerns about animal welfare and the exaggerated claims pertaining to public safety.

The Bill will give legislative effect to the commitment in the renewed programme for Government with the Green Party to ban the practice of stag hunting. While the Minister advises that this will not have implications for other country pursuits, the resulting effect of the Bill will be devastating to my home county of Meath and the only remaining stag hunt in the country, the Ward Union Hunt, WUH. While there are strong opinions on both sides, I have deep reservations about this legislation.

The legislation will significantly impact on the livelihoods of people in my community. Thousands of people have signed a petition opposing the proposal to ban stag hunting. This petition represents the voices of rural Ireland. These are the voices of people who understand the devastating effect that the Bill will have and who have a real connection with animal welfare. They are not involved because of a political ideology but because they deal with animals on a day-to-day basis. These are the voices of people who know and understand the realities of our natural world.

The Bill jeopardises long held traditions, the rural economy of Meath and the future of the horse racing industry. I live on the Fairyhouse Road, Ratoath, next to the Tattersalls Ireland complex and down the road from the WUH kennels. The Tattersalls complex is Ireland's largest bloodstock sales arena and major auctions take place throughout the year with people travelling from all over the world. This is the home of the WUH. Ratoath is steeped in the history of the horse racing industry and hunting. These two sports go hand in hand with each other. The connection between racing and hunting is a key contributor to Ireland's reputation as world leader in horse breeding. For the past 162 years, the two sports have benefited from each other in County Meath, as have Fairyhouse racecourse, Tattersalls and the WUH in their interaction with each other.

The hunt was established in 1854. It maintains a 150-strong herd of native Irish red deer in its reservation at Greenpark, Dunshaughlin, County Meath. The hunt has more than 200 members, employs four full-time staff and contributes €1.4 million to the local economy. It costs approximately €6,700 per annum to keep a horse. That money is spent in my local area, benefiting vets, farriers, feed merchants and saddlers. The WUH founded Fairyhouse racecourse and the first point to point meeting was held there in 1848. The link between the hunt and the racecourse is still present. WUH officials lead in the Irish Grand National winner. For decades, Fairyhouse was effectively managed in a large measure by many hunt members. The past two chairmen of the hunt were on the board of Fairyhouse racecourse.

The WUH has for a long time been a nurturing ground for many of Ireland's top jockeys. These jockeys live in my parish. Current active members of the WUH include Grand National winning jockeys Paul Carberry, Robert Power, Barry Geraghty, Ross Geraghty, Grand National winning trainer Gordon Elliott and champion lady rider Nina Carberry. Distinguished flat jockey, Kevin Manning, also grew up hunting with the WUH. They all developed their riding skills on hunts with the WUH. Ruby Walsh has also been involved. Paul Carberry, Barry Geraghty and Nina Carberry are all outstanding sports people who have said that the ban on stag hunting would undermine their capacity to practice and develop their riding skills. As the history of the WUH has demonstrated, today's young riders are the great jockeys of horse racing tomorrow. The WUH has played and continues to play a significant role in the success of the horse racing industry.

The chief executive officer of Horse racing Ireland, Brian Kavanagh, recently said:

"In no other sport can Ireland claim such an elite Ievel of achievement. Horse racing and breeding is one of the few industries in which Ireland is rightly recognised as a world leader, due to its indigenous skills base and the tradition of enlightened government policy. This has generated positive benefits for Ireland in economic terms."

Irish trained horses occupy three of the top four places in the world thoroughbred rankings, including world champion Sea the Stars.

The Dukes report published in late 2009 was commissioned by the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association and it highlighted how the racing industry has become a significant employer with 15,500 jobs, excluding the betting industry, and it is a vital part of the struggling rural economy. However, this position in severe danger. The industry suffered an estimated 1,500 job losses in 2009. The report made clear that the industry provides vital employment in rural Ireland but that this is under threat. The ban on stag hunting will not only be detrimental to the local jobs and the local economy in Meath, but it also poses a threat to the wider economy. Why are the thousands of voices that oppose this ban being ignored? I cannot understand why that is. It is wrong to trample on people's rural traditions.

We must consider some key facts to get a picture of the significant contribution played by the horse racing industry to the economy . The gross value of the industry to the economy is in excess of €1.1 billion per annum. In 2009, a total of 6,222 Irish thoroughbreds to the value of €216 million were exported to 42 countries. Many of these were sold in the Tattersalls complex on the road on which I live. The industry generates significant benefits for the tourism industry, with approximately 80,000 visiting Ireland for race meetings, sales and stud operations. Many of them stay in homes, bead and breakfasts and guest houses in my community. The value of racing festivals and other meetings to local economies is estimated to be €260 million. This has a major impact on rural communities.

Ireland has more race tracks per head of population than any other country in the world. There are 27 race tracks in Ireland, with an average of 340 race meetings per annum. Apart from the fact that interest in racing is high, Ireland is one of the few countries which has national hunt racing all year round. This explains the high number of tracks. According to Horse Racing Ireland, in 2009 there was a severe decline in bloodstock sales at public auctions, such as the auction on my road, with sales falling by 32% to €67.5 million. The number of stallions, mares and foals fell significantly, reflecting an Irish horse-breeding industry that is now under threat. Government support for the horse and greyhound racing industries is provided under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund. These industries directly account for approximately 27,500 jobs. A recent review of the fund found that horse racing in Ireland was "a key driver of substantial economic activity, especially in rural areas."

As recent reports have outlined, the Irish breeding industry is already under threat, and the Bill before us today poses another significant threat to the horse racing industry and the rural economy in which I live. The ban on stag hunting will result in further job losses in rural Ireland, but most of all, it will have a disproportionate effect on a single group of extremely important hunters, the Ward Union Hunt.

In times of such economic difficulty it does not make sense to jeopardise jobs, the rural economy, the horse racing industry and the wider economy.

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