Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am appalled that in the previous vote only 14 of the 120 Members in this Chamber today voted in favour of banning fur farming. When it became known in animal welfare circles that the Minister was working on this Bill, there was a great sense that finally we were going to do the right thing and that cruel practices such as hare coursing, the gassing of mink and the culling of badgers would finally be eradicated.

I want to go back to the beginning of the Bill. In the Long Title, on page seven, it is definitely stated that the aim of the Bill is to prevent cruelty to animals. Under Part 3, which is entitled "Animal Welfare", on page 13, it is stated that a person who is in possession of a protected animal must ensure that the animal is treated in a manner that safeguards the health and welfare of the animal and does not threaten the health or welfare of the animal or another animal. Nobody can tell me that coursing is the sort of activity in which the welfare of the animal is not at stake and in which there is no cruelty.

I refer to an interesting quotation from a German philosopher, Immanuel Kant: "He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." Irish men are not coming across very well when we see the way in which animals are being treated in this country. I do not think it is doing our international reputation any good to be one of three countries that continue to allow live coursing. I understand that The Gathering has also removed hunting from its website. This was a golden opportunity to get rid of hare coursing. It is obvious that the majority of people in this country totally oppose it. I know that Deputies are annoyed by the volume of e-mails they receive on this matter, but this shows the extent of the support for putting a ban on coursing.

Damage is being done to greyhounds, who are gentle animals. They are being deliberately blooded and trained to do something that is against their nature. We know also of the damage to hares in the way they are netted, housed and used. There is also an increasing use of rabbits. Greyhounds have suffered injuries because they become frustrated with wearing the muzzle. As I said on Committee Stage, I do not advocate that muzzles should not be used. However, it is unnatural for the greyhound.

The Minister referred on Committee Stage to employment in the coursing industry. However, employment can be supported if drag coursing is introduced. Like Deputy Daly, I hope the Minister can consider its introduction. To have coursing events monitored by coursing clubs is not an adequate supervision and inspection system. The hares are injured during coursing. They are mauled and some of them have been killed either during or after the coursing. The hare is a sub-species of the mountain hare. There could be issues with regard to the survival of the species, which may become endangered.

My predecessor, the late Tony Gregory, tried to bring in a ban on coursing in the early 1990s but was unsuccessful. More than 30 years later, we are in the same situation. This is a cruel practice. If the Minister is concerned about animal welfare he will reconsider. Neither Deputy Daly nor I will give up the fight on this one.

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