Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I am delighted to speak on this Bill and I compliment the Government on bringing it forward. When will legislation to reintroduce stag hunting be published? It was promised in the general election. The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Deenihan, is not responsible for this area but the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, made many wild promises about it. I hope this point is seriously considered because we must have a reasoned debate on these issues. Many of these practices have been going on since time immemorial and are part and parcel of our life, heritage and culture. Some 100 years ago, many people were sustained by eating these wildlife creatures after they were shot or fished. People had little other food to eat.

Other speakers, who are members of the Technical Group, are put on notice that I am totally supportive of the practice of coursing. We are not talking about coursing, as such, but we are waiting to see when it will be introduced in the next Bill. We are talking about simplifying a situation that became a problem. The purpose of the Bill is to make provision for an extension of the current hunting licence provisions in the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2010, which allows a hunter in possession of a firearm certificate for a shotgun to shoot wild birds and hares in open season. The enactment of the Bill by 31 July 2012 will have no financial implications or cost for the Exchequer. Some of my erstwhile friends in the Technical Group should think about this. On a daily basis, they complain about unemployment, people emigrating and industry closing. The next time there is a meeting of the think tank, it should come to Tipperary to the Golden Vale and I will take them on a tour of the sights. There are some very well developed fishing and gun clubs and we can show them what goes on behind it. None of us has infinite wisdom but I am often criticised for talking about something with which I am not familiar. I would hate to talk about destroying employment on one hand and scream for more jobs on the other hand. Other Members are advocating paying no taxes - whether the household tax or other taxes - and they bring opprobrium on us all regarding the expenses regime when they are advocating it. We need some balance on this matter.

I am all for sustainable rural communities. There is no better way to sustain them than to have good practice in farming. Fortunately, we have very good practice in the main, following the introduction of REPS and many other schemes over the years. Successive Ministers have done good work in this regard. The farming community itself has made great efforts, as can be seen in the engagement by various farming organisations, including the Irish Farmers Association, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association and the sheep breeders and hill sheep breeders associations. It is vital that these changes are made and I compliment the Minister on doing what had to be done. There were anomalies in the existing legislation which had to be resolved.

It is not possible to obtain a gun licence for shooting game unless one has land or designated access to land as agreed with the farmer or landowner. It is all about protecting farming. This year we have had appalling weather right through the spring and now into mid-summer and harvest time. Leaving Tipperary this morning, I saw that the barley and wheat are beginning to be stretched with the heavy rains. Those crops survived the rain in June because they did not yet have heavy heads, but they are now dropping and are vulnerable to flocks of crows and pigeons. If not for the shotgun and the people willing to take the necessary action, farmers would be cleaned out. It is as simple as that. I do not want to besmirch the name of the late Tony Gregory, a person whose achievements I acknowledge. However, living in a city, the only crow one might see is the one landing in Croke Park when the game is over. This is not aimed at Tony Gregory himself, God rest him, but at his colleagues.

People must try to understand rural life, where the milk comes from and the barley and wheat for our bread. People sometimes do not care to know where the food they eat comes from. We are an agricultural producing country with huge potential. We cannot bring in law after law merely to suit those who live inside the Pale, some of whom are not interested in our nature or heritage. People should go on a heritage and wildlife tour to enjoy the beautiful scenery, environment and landscapes in rural areas, the crops of rapeseed and corn which are now turning in the golden sunshine. One would not see it in any other part of the world. Everybody has an obligation to educate themselves. I acknowledge that I have much to learn about city life, but I am not coming up to this city telling the people who live here that they cannot do this, that and the other. We have enough of that in the countryside.

In regard to hare coursing, Clonmel coursing festival is worth €6 million to the region. It is maintaining jobs in many small industries. People are living in cuckoo land when they ask what hares ever did to anybody to deserve such treatment. Hares are, in the main, nurtured and cared for and the dogs are muzzled. Practices in coursing have, in almost every case, been transformed so that everybody can now enjoy a safe and dignified sporting occasion. The Minister is welcome to come to Clonmel at any time. Beidh fíor fáilte roimh an Aire go dtí Cluain Meala an bhliain seo chugainn. I recall a story I heard about Hugh Leonard - I am not sure whether he is still alive, but I hope he is. There is a story of the treatment he got from a certain publican called Mrs. Keogh when he came to Clonmel one day and wanted dinner. When he said he was anti-coursing, he got a bucket of water on his head and was gone in a flash. Sin scéal eile.

I am sick, sore and tired of receiving abusive e-mails from animal rights organisations, with their talk of cruelties, which clog up the system on a regular basis. These are the same people who came to Clonmel greyhound track on several occasions before a coursing festival and stuck broken bottles and glasses into the ground in order to prevent the event proceeding. There was no consideration for the cruelty this would inflict on the greyhounds and hares if their paws were injured on the glass. These people are sick. I would not like to say they are deranged, but they are definitely very sick. I saw a letter written by some of their number to a former Member of this House - a Deputy from my area - indicating what they would do his children. Let us get our principles half right here. In the debate on stag-hunting two years ago, there was an argument that horse racing should be outlawed because it involves pitting one animal against another. These are the people did not want sheepdogs assisting in the rounding up of sheep and cattle. Are farmers supposed to use a helicopter? They were opposed to live exports of cattle. They want us to forget about the rest of the world and be self-sufficient, yet we cannot eat fish or kill animals. Are we supposed to become cannibals and eat each other? I am not trying to be funny here. These people must get real and understand the realities of rural life and that many aspects of urban life depend on rural activities.

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