Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First, I would say that we would.

My Department issued the Irish Coursing Club with licences in August 2018 on behalf of its affiliated clubs to capture and tag hares for the 2018-2019 coursing season which included conditions relating to the reporting of coursing trials.

There are 29 conditions associated with the licences issued to the Irish Coursing Club which have been developed and refined over the years. One of the conditions requires that hares may not be coursed more than once on the same day. In addition, the licence specifically requires that hares that have been coursed can be readily identified to ensure that this condition is rigidly observed.

I agree that there may be some merit in considering the issue of microchipping of hares at coursing meetings and I have requested officials of my Department to examine the possibility of perhaps introducing a pilot project at some coursing meetings during the 2019-2020 season in consultation with the Irish Coursing Club. Officials of my Department have already made contact with the Irish Coursing Club in this regard. It is certainly a method used in the tracking, quantification and assessment of certain species in the wild and if it aids the welfare of the wild animal and can be feasibly, safely and cleanly done, then it merits that consideration. I thank Deputy for suggesting it as a way to ensure the safety and welfare of hares. I would be open also to receiving submissions from animal welfare bodies on the question of microchipping, as the Deputy mentioned.

I am aware that the Deputy has raised the issue of illegal - the Deputy mentioned trafficking - trading of hares previously and the suggestion of microchipping is made in that regard too. I can assure the Deputy that any allegations made to my Department about illegal trading of hares will be investigated where possible.

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