Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Regulated coursing is and has been managed under the auspices of the Irish Coursing Club, ICC, which was established in 1916. It is the central authority for more than 80 local coursing clubs. These clubs hold coursing meetings annually, typically over a two-day period. Coursing is supervised by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, under the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and monitored by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It is regulated under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, the open season order 2005, the Wildlife Act 1976, the 26 conditions attached to the licence issued annually by the Department and the rules of the ICC.

As a young boy I went hare coursing and learned a lot about nature, wildlife and life in general. Teams of men and youngsters hunted hares. Things have moved on since then and it has become a very humane activity. Hares are now muzzled and rightly so, and are under strict supervision. Licenses are in place.

It was interesting to hear the contribution of the Minister - I was not in the Chamber but I watched it on a monitor. Some clubs which acted out of order last year are under investigation. A small minority have been reprimanded. It is very important that the full rigours of the law are used to enforce the rules.

Today I spoke at length on the Summer Economic Statements. I welcome the free debate and compliment Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan for putting down this Bill. I know how passionately she feels about it, and I respect that. Jobs and supporting industries are important. Coursing is an industry in rural Ireland, one which is of the people and by the people and was developed by their own volition. The industry receives no State aid or IDA grants. Anyone who has a greyhound has to have a kennel, trailer, pay veterinarian fees and have leads. They care for their animals expertly.

I heard Deputy Wallace refer to his cats. I do not know who minded them when he was at the soccer match, but I hope they were well looked after - I know they were. He would be lonely without them. I have a couple of sheepdogs which are used to herd sheep. Will that be stopped? Some animal rights activists have told me they want to stop sheep herding and horse racing. We must strike a balance and respect for people in communities who engage in the sport, tradition and heritage of hunts. Coursing is now very much regulated. It is a major industry.

There is an annual coursing festival in Clonmel, the vale of honey. I ask Deputies O'Sullivan, Daly and Wallace to come to Clonmel on the last day of January and we will bring them in. No one will stop them going to the meeting. They can see how it is run under the auspices of the ICC and Department and the activities that are taking place, and have a nice engagement with the people who enjoy the sport.

Men, women and children of all ages enjoy the sport. It is worth €6 million to Clonmel. We changed the festival to encompass weekends because of people's ability to get off work. People come from all over Europe to the festival. A significant number come from Northern Ireland. All are made welcome. It is part of our heritage and is the biggest thing we have had in Clonmel since we had the Fleadh Cheoil. There is greyhound racing and music, song and dance. People enjoy the hospitality and stay in houses within a 30-mile radius of Clonmel. Waterford, East Limerick and other areas benefit. People are made welcome.

I would not go to the constituency of Deputy O'Sullivan or Deputy Daly and try to close down industries. I would think twice about doing that because I would be interfering. We have our beliefs, but seeing is believing.

Some animal rights activists have done awful things in Clonmel. A long time ago they put broken glass on greyhound tracks. That would do horrific damage to the paws of greyhounds. They sent appalling letters to previous Members of the House and threatened them. We need to strike a balance. Going outside the gates of the Houses earlier was not a very pleasant. None of the people there had muzzles on them. Let us be fair. People can be very nasty, intimidating and threatening, and it is not good enough that we cannot go in and out of the Houses and go about our business without being intimidated and threatened. I have been a victim of that. I have to represent all of the views of the people. This is something I believe in passionately.

We must support the industry. As I said, the ICC was established in 1916, and the men who established it knew it was a natural pursuit. Animals are killed every day of the week. Hares are not caught and put into boxes. Rather, they are caught and put into carefully constructed preserves which are the result of major voluntary labour from clubs. They are allowed to roam wild over areas of up to 200 acres. A couple of years ago, animal-rights activists cut the wires on preserves before coursing was due to take place and allowed the house to run onto a motorway, where they were slaughtered by trucks. Cruelty is not one-sided. No one has a preserve on that.

If coursing goes underground we will have a major problem. I know Deputy O'Keeffe, who is from Limerick, has the same problem as I do in my constituency. Marauding gangs are going out with lurchers and greyhounds, which have been ill-treated and have no muzzles, and are trespassing on land. They are causing untold damage to animals and farm property, and are intimidating householders and farmers. People are terrified and will not make statements to gardaí because they have been threatened that if they do they will be burned out of their houses. That is terrorism.

People carrying out these attacks are killing the dogs. They are letting not just one but two, three, four or five dogs after innocent hares, allowing them to chase and kill them, and then, as the Minister said, are putting footage up on social media. That is despicable and barbaric. I do not know why the animal rights people and others do not address those issues.

Last year, for the first time in decades, the Sunday coursing open day was not held because we had no hares to hunt, despite the fact that all of the hares had been collected from the wild, treated, injected, fed, looked after and nurtured. They were killed by gangs of thugs and bullies with lurchers and greyhounds.

I heard an appalling case on Tipp FM recently, where terriers were seized from a house by thieves who cut the locks and used the handle of a shovel with nails in it to hunt the dogs. People are afraid for their lives. I compliment Superintendents William Leahy and Pat O'Connor and others in the Limerick region who have assisted in clamping down on this type of activity. This happens not alone during the day, but also at night. People are terrified.

Huge amounts of Garda time is taken up trying to monitor the situation and in preparing prosecutions under the Wildlife Act. Prosecutions have been made but while the gardaí were engaged in that respect people were being robbed elsewhere. A lot of people who are engaged in such activities are touting for robberies also. It is open season on the ordinary citizens I represent in their own homes and farms. Fences are being broken and livestock is being damaged and harried. Sheep are being attacked by the dogs and cattle are being frightened and are breaking out onto roads, which causes more accidents. All of that is going on. We are trying to ensure there is a controlled coursing industry, which is of the people and by the people who put their hands in their pockets, pay for their greyhounds and their veterinarian bills. Some people look after their greyhounds better than some of us look after ourselves they are so mad about the dogs. In the past, every small farmer in my constituency had greyhounds. It was a huge add-on industry. Agriculture is on its knees at the moment and we need such cottage industries and small ancillary industries to support the main farming income. Coursing should be promoted rather than restricted.

I issue again, mar focal scoir, a Cheann Comhairle, an invitation, a cuireadh, do na Teachtaí O'Sullivan, Daly agus Wallace teacht go dtí Cluain Meala to see it, because seeing is believing. They should not listen to the people who say they are not allowed in, that they are not allowed to bring in cameras and that they are bullied and intimidated. People are not bullied and intimidated. It is a very peaceful event and there is never any trouble at it. Thousands come to Clonmel. It is a lovely festival which everybody enjoys. I accept there is gambling but gambling goes on everywhere. I have never bet in my life but I attend coursing and meet people there every year. Beidh an-chraic agus spórt againn má bhíonn na Teachtaí ábalta teacht.

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