Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy O'Sullivan for bringing this Bill to the House and look forward to a time when these barbaric practices are outlawed in Ireland. The Green Party has always been opposed to all blood sports and remains resolutely so. Needless to say the Green Party will be supporting this Bill. I ask Members tonight to consider the words of Abraham Lincoln, who said:

I am in favour of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being.

Labhair me inné faoi thábhacht chosaint agus cothú bhua an ealaíontóra. Sa leabhar Dúille Liam Ó Flaithearta feictear an bua sin in a chur síos ar iontas an dúlra agus ríocht na n-ainmhithe. Is tír muid le háiseanna nádúrtha den scoth timpeall orainn, ach ní féidir leis na hainmhithe seo maireachtáil le cur isteach agus slad an duine daonna. An bhfuil sé ceart cur isteach ar an giorria atá anseo leis na céadta bliain? Is cuid dár n-oidhreacht é an créatur seo. Níl guth aige, ach tá guth agamsa. Tá guth againne, mar pholaiteoirí, agus táimid freagrach as tuairimí an phobail a thabhairt os comhair an Ti uasal seo. Ni féidir linn leanúint leis an nós barbartha seo. 'Sé sin dul sa tóir ar ainmhí leochaileach gan chosaint.

To be absolutely clear, hare coursing is a brutal ordeal. Before the hares experience this ordeal, they are trapped and trained which is cruel enough. They are solitary creatures and keep to themselves in the wild, so keeping them in an enclosure causes significant stress and fear. Hare coursing involves the terrorising of one animal by another animal as a so-called sport, all the while being watched as entertainment. Not only are these timid and delicate creatures terrified and brutalised in this practice, they often suffer severe injuries and death. The hare is a brittle-boned creature and its internal injuries cannot heal. Injured hares have to be put down.

The last Private Members' Bill to ban coursing was taken more than 20 years ago and, unfortunately, was defeated. The solution on that occasion was to call on coursing clubs to muzzle the hounds. Muzzling the dogs is not an answer nor is it any less barbaric. Many hares die from stress and exhaustion and hares continue to be mauled and struck by the greyhounds resulting in their death. Since the introduction of muzzling for greyhounds in 1993, deaths remain at approximately 200 hares per year. Hares are still dying either through contact injury, fear or capture myopathy. Up to 40 hares have died at any one event with vets blaming the significant stress of captivity and coursing.

The hare is a protected species under the 2013 Habitats Directive. This document notes the significant fluctuations in population numbers. We cannot be certain they are well preserved as a species. Many members of this House, past and present, from across the entire political spectrum have, over the past 20 years, spoken out against this cruel, barbaric practice but when it comes down to it - when it comes to the vote - they choose to toe the party line rather than do the right thing.

An mbeidh Teachtaí Dála sa Phairlimint seo sona sasta filleadh abhaile an Déardaoin seo chugainn agus a rá lena gclann go raibh eagla orthu an rud ceart a dhéanamh agus nach raibh siad cróga go leor an fód a sheasamh agus tacaíocht a thabhairt do Bhille na mná misniúla, an Teachta Maureen O' Sullivan. Carpe diem. Bígí láidir. Léirigí misneach agus tuiscint.

Why are we only one of three countries still allowing this practice? Why can we not reach a consensus in this House and get hare coursing banned once and for all? Let us take this opportunity presented by Deputy O'Sullivan to say that this practice clearly belongs in the past and is no longer acceptable to the vast majority of Irish people. Independent surveys carried out over the years have shown that approximately 75% or more people would like to see a ban in place and this is not just urban dwellers. The majority of those in rural areas are also opposed to this so-called sport. Let us follow our nearest neighbours in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and let us ban this barbaric activity which sometimes trades under the name of being a sport. It is not a sport. Describing it as a sport does a gross disservice to what true sport involves. We only have to think of last night in Lille as an example of one of so many true sports. It was full of honest and brave endeavour and unpredictability. We had 11 players against 11 players - a fair battle. Hare coursing is anything but fair. It is cruel and barbaric and I believe that if not next Thurday, our generation will once and for all end this cowardly cruelty. I hope it happens sooner rather than later.

I conclude with the words of a former Member of this House, the former Green Party leader, Trevor Sargent, who said, "I feel we have reached a point in our history where almost unanimous agreement has been reached in rejecting political violence and, to ensure that society develops respecting life in general, it is important I believe to reject violence in the name of 'sport' also."

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