Dáil debates

Tuesday, 29 June 2010

Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages

 

6:00 am

Photo of Trevor SargentTrevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

It would be as well to recognise that we have an international obligation in the area of biodiversity. However, let us deal with that issue when we have an opportunity to do so. The legislation before us has a narrow focus as it deals with a specific activity. It in an anachronism in this day and age that the activity in question continues to take place. In addition to the animal welfare issue that arises, there is an inconsistency in terms of the use of a domesticated animal in this activity. While a stag has some wild tendencies, it is a domesticated animal and we would not tolerate the hunting of any other type of domesticated animal, for instance, a cow or pig. Stag hunting is an anachronism.

I accept that the public safety aspect of the Bill, a collision with a stag, is less likely to arise than a head-on collision with another car caused by someone falling asleep at the wheel. However, if a vehicle were to collide with a stag and someone were to be killed, would the Deputies Opposite remain quiet or would they ask which Minister licensed the activity and thereby allowed a tragedy to befall a family? Would they be sanguine about the Minister's role in allowing this licensing activity to continue and failing to notice previous near misses, including, but not only, the incident in Kildalkey? In December, for example, a deer had to be put down having collided with a vehicle. Fortunately, the incident did not result in a human tragedy.

At the weekend, I was walking along a quiet laneway in Garristown in the company of several people who pointed out the exact location at which a stag emerged from across a ditch onto the laneway in front of them. If the incident had occurred a couple of minutes later in the presence of children-----

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