Dáil debates

Tuesday, 29 June 2010

Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages

 

6:00 am

Photo of Joanna TuffyJoanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

-----in Government that the Labour Party has supported. For example, we agree that third level tuition fees should not be reintroduced. We have strongly supported some the changes it has made regarding planning. We support the Government's initiatives on civil partnership. The problem with this Bill is that there are different views. For example, studies carried out on the Ward Union Hunt found evidence of physiological recovery within three or four days and full recovery within ten days, and two months post hunt the hunted deer were found to be in good health. If one starts bringing the issue of animal cruelty into the debate one could talk about horse racing or many other activities on which people would have a point of view.

We live in a society where we have to bring people on board, in terms of animal protection. We need to decide on the best way to proceed. I have a difficulty with this Bill. The Minister is getting rid of the power to licence the activity. The Minister feared that he might drive this into hunting and shooting deer under the Firearms Act and that is why he brought in the provision which has concerned deer stalkers. He was trying to close off loopholes. He is now trying to fix the mess that he created by trying to close loopholes and he may well end up opening another loophole.

What the Minister might allow is unregulated hunting and shooting of deer, which is not deer stalking. He is not licensing such activity in the way he is licensing the Ward Union Hunt. The problem is that because the Minister was not prepared to engage and talk to the Ward Union Hunt and Wild Deer Ireland in a genuine way and consult with Coillte, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, different sectors of society and the parties here, he is creating a Bill which may contain loopholes which the Minister will then try to close. There was a provision in section 26(1) of the Wildlife Act 1976 whereby the activity could be controlled by licensing.

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