Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is far too loose. There are three areas of concern, one of which is the dogs being used. I do not think there is any inspection of the way the dogs are kept. There are alarming reports from people involved in animal welfare of the conditions in which the dogs are kept. There is also a report from one group of a particular huntsperson who exceeds the number of breeding bitches allowed under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. Who is following up on this?

Just before Christmas the Cork Dog Action Welfare Group had to close because it could not take in any more dogs. It had in excess of 70 dogs in its care, and 30 of those were hunting dogs. Is the HAI really taking responsibility for its own dogs as well as for what it does with fox hunting? Fox hunting is a relic of our colonial past when we were oppressed by a colonial power. While that same colonial power has banned fox hunting, we still see it as a worthwhile practice in rural Ireland. That beggars belief.

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