Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Under the licence, what those involved in coursing are required to produce is information on when the hares were captured, the number of hares captured, if they were injured and whether veterinary care was required.

They are not required ascertain the sex of the hare. In all the details contained in the reports, I cannot see any reference to male or female. I went through 20 reports of hare coursing clubs. In any of those reports which account for probably close to 1,000 hare captures, I cannot see anywhere where they state that a female hare was deemed to be pregnant and released. Considering that there are 1,000 hares captured and the sex ratio is 50:50, and that a female hare is usually consistently pregnant or lactating, it is bizarre that there is no record of any hares being released in that regard.

This is an unusual angle, but the coursing entities have been operating outside - it has been impossible to operate within - the terms and conditions that have been set for them. I am not saying that it is on them but they have been operating outside the terms of that licence. In light of that, I ask that the licence for the upcoming season be refused until the Minister can carry out an analysis of those conditions and whether or not it is possible to be in compliance with them.

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