Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is an Irish solution to an Irish problem. I am not sure if Deputy Daly is suggesting that we should have an imported solution to an Irish problem. I highlight that a very high proportion of hares netted for hare coursing were returned successfully to the wild. For example, at the end of the 2014-15 season, 99.3% of hares captured were released in a healthy condition back after coursing. We have moved some distance in respect of where coursing was some years ago in terms of the monitoring and high standards of welfare we apply in terms of both the greyhound and the hare, something to which all parties involved can be paid tribute, including Bord na gCon, the Irish Coursing Club, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and my Department. For that reason, we have now reached a situation where we have a sustainable industry and I do not propose to ban the industry.

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