Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Veterinary Ireland has stated that mink on fur farms do not have a life worth living in any way. As solitary, wild and semi-aquatic creatures, packing mink into metal cages in groups is alien and unnatural. For that reason, Veterinary Ireland asserts that it is impossible to regulate the fur trade and somehow make it kinder because it is not farming at all. The mink are gassed at six months and their skins are pulled off.

Country after country has phased out or banned fur farming. I do not have time to list them all, but the UK, Austria, the Netherlands, Croatia, Slovenia, Norway, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Belgium, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia, Germany, Denmark and Sweden have agreed to or are in the process of banning fur farming. Even Japan, New Zealand and others outside the EU are doing so. In the past three years, every major fashion house has gone fur free, including Prada just a few days ago. According to a RED C poll, 80% of people in Ireland believe that fur farming should be banned. They view it as cruel, backward and barbaric, and all for the sake of a luxury product that most people will never see and nobody needs. It is an example of capitalism willing to disregard life and welfare for pure profit.

On 3 July, we in Solidarity are due to move Second Stage of our Prohibition of Fur Farming Bill 2018, which has received widespread support at home and abroad. I thank the ISPCA, activists in the National Animal Rights Association, NARA, the Fur Free Alliance, the Irish Council Against Blood Sports and many others who have lobbied intensely on this issue.

Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Labour, Independents 4 Change, the Green Party, the Social Democrats and Solidarity-People Before Profit have all stated that they support a ban. The only question now is what is Fine Gael’s stance. Is Fine Gael the only party in the Dáil standing in the way of ending this animal cruelty? In 2005, it was in favour of banning fur farming. Its Deputies, including the Minister, voted to do so. The Bill in question fell and, unfortunately, Fine Gael has done nothing in the intervening 14 years to ban it.

This is Fine Gael’s opportunity. Based on the figures, our Bill will pass. That leaves Fine Gael with three options. It can break with what it believed in 2005 and be the only party to vote to maintain fur farming, it can support our Bill or, knowing that the figures mean that the Bill must pass, it can decide not to waste valuable time for the animals themselves and the Dáil agenda and ban fur farming via ministerial order. Is the Minister willing to take the initiative and talk to the Taoiseach and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, about making a ministerial order under sections 11 or 36 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013? Of course, time must be given and there must be discussion about alternative industries or agribusiness and alternative employment for the 47 or so registered employees, who are mainly seasonal workers, on the three remaining fur farms. Is he willing to do the right thing?

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