Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left) | Oireachtas source

I am glad the Minister verified that there has been considerable contact with her Department. This reflects the fact that the majority of people are appalled by the live baiting, mauling and killing of hares in the so-called name of sport. Hare coursing is a practice that has been outlawed in Australia, Britain, Northern Ireland and so on. I hope the Minister will agree to meet some of the groups involved. The problem is that licences are granted to coursing clubs on the basis of certain conditions. Information obtained by some of the animal welfare organisations under the freedom of information legislation shows that many of these conditions are being violated. For example, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, is supposed to monitor the activities which take place at coursing meetings. However, it only managed to monitor 23 events last year. At an event in Fermoy, an NPWS ranger was obliged to call a vet to attend because one was not present. One of the conditions of the licences issued by the Department is that vets are supposed to be in attendance at meetings. At meetings held in Gorey and New Ross, numbers provided in respect of the number of hares killed were different from those tallied by the rangers present. Again, this is evidence that the rules are being bent.

Unlawful practices are ongoing which the Department must examine. Will the Minister meet some of the groups who have this information?

See this speech in context