Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)

I speak as a Deputy who is deeply in touch with rural issues and a rural way of life and I strongly oppose the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2010, as proposed by the Minister, Deputy Gormley. Some of his amendments have actually added to the complexity. It will be a lawyers' paradise.

The Bill before the House is historic in at least one respect, in that, to the best of my knowledge, it is the first occasion since the foundation of the State that a Government has brought a specific Bill before this House to outlaw a country sport. This is not a good day for rural Ireland. I respect the views of the many people who contact me to express their different views. That is part of the democratic participatory process but I do not bow to people in an orchestrated campaign. I will not be bullied, harassed or intimidated by extraterritorial e-mails and so on from outside the jurisdiction. I am well able to make up my own mind.

This is a misguided Bill, in any event. Deputy English stated clearly there was no issue of welfare because of the detailed supervision of the Ward Union Hunt. This arose from the licensing regime which was put in place by my colleague, Deputy Michael D. Higgins. That was our policy at the time and it remains such. We will not allow the Green Party or any small segment of a party to misrepresent our policy here or anywhere else. Name-calling and vulgar abuse is what one is reduced to when one is on the losing side. We do not call anybody Father Ted but we could call an odd person Father Jack.

That is where the welfare issue lies. It is clear in any event that were there any such issue it could be addressed by means of the licensing conditions. No such issue arises. From an interview I heard the Minister give on radio last week it was clear he suffered a defeat in the High Court, in a judicial review. If people feel aggrieved by any matter they are entitled to bring it for review. That is why the courts are there and I laud the openness of the courts to deal with issues. The Minister said he had not gone away but that court determined the licensing conditions he had imposed were crazy, in any event. Now he is back with this blunt legislative instrument which illustrates a vengeful streak. That is what this amounts to and arises from the Minister not getting his own way in December 2007. If he felt there was an issue that needed to be addressed, why did he not consult with the key stakeholders in order to ensure the best approach was pursued? There is plenty of precedent for that. He sent his officials. I heard people on the radio say that the Minister was supposed to talk to them but I understand he did not do so. The Minister can say whether he did so.

When all else fails and the Minister's argument does not stand up, he resorts to vulgar abuse and misinterpretation of the Labour Party policy. I will not allow him to do that for his own narrow gains, just because he is in a corner. He referred to such people as the "tally ho" brigade. Many people involved in hunting or country pursuits are like me. They were born in cottages in the heart of rural Ireland, with no land, no horses or hounds, no silver spoons, only a grá for country sports and the rural way of life. As young people we hunted rabbits in order to secure food or sell it at two shillings unskinned or half a crown skinned. That was what we had to do. We hunted foxes because of the damage they did to farmers when they raided hen houses throughout the country and picked out and killed lambs. This was lauded and actively encouraged by the county committees of agriculture. One got half a crown for a fox's tail when one brought it in. That was another way we had to raise income. The Minister knows nothing about rural Ireland and nothing about the rural way of life.

This is a serious issue in rural areas, and the real target of those promoting this Bill is not the Ward Union Hunt, but other countryside activities and pursuits. The Minister should look at his own party's welfare policy, which states:

The Green Party does not promote or support the live export of animals ... The Green Party campaigns for an end to intensive rearing of cattle, sheep and poultry ... The party campaigns for an end to the use of wild animals in circuses ... When in government, the Green Party will introduce to end blood sports, with heavy penalties for organisations and participants ... The party does not support or promote traditional zoos in the longer term and will continue to work towards a complete reformation.

Does the Minister want to get rid of us altogether? Will he take our blood and get rid of us altogether?

This Bill will hang around the Minister's neck for a long time to come. Rural people will not forget. This is the thin edge of the wedge. I have heard from people representing him that the Minister wants to get rid of coursing proposals implemented by a previous Minister, which were excellent. The Green Party was not satisfied and wanted to get rid of them. We say "No" to this today.

See this speech in context