Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

People are being criticised for their views here in Dáil Éireann. We are fully entitled to put forward views different from those Deputy Coppinger has put forward. We will be opposing the Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Fox Hunting) Bill. We need to get a few facts right here. Foxes are classified as a pest species. Whether we agree or disagree, that is the fact. There are 150,000 to 200,000 foxes at the moment and they cause serious concern to many farmers and have done so through the years. We need to have some kind of control because the next thing we will be in here seeing if we can protect the rat, the mouse or whatever. Nobody wants to protect the human beings; that is the problem from what I can see here.

We have very serious concerns. There is regulation at the moment with potential punishments for animal welfare violations. On the timing of the hunts, the fines are substantial for wrongdoing, reaching €10,000 on summary conviction or €250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years if there is conviction on indictment. There are also fixed-charge penalties for lesser offences.

Foxes pose huge threats to farmers. If Deputy Coppinger had been brought up in a rural area, she would understand that. How many times have I heard down through the years that a fox had broken into a hen yard and destroyed every hen in the yard?

They are also a threat to our native birds and young lambs. We need to have controls for foxes and hares. We should not be afraid to say that in this House. Independent Ireland will certainly be opposing the Bill going forward. If we can at some stage put in further protections, we should do that at some stage, but we have to control pests. I certainly will be one of those opposing this. Down through the years people have been treated as if they are being unfair to animals when I do not always agree that is the case. There certainly are controls and people have respect for certain areas. Independent Ireland is opposing this.

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