Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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23. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will suspend the issue of hare coursing licences across the entire country in view of the recently reported increase in the spread of the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17046/20]

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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The Department highlighted and confirmed to me this week that there have been several confirmed additional cases of rabbit haemorrhagic disease identified in hares in Wexford and Kildare and in rabbits in Clare and Cork. In light of this, will the Minister of State suspend the issuing of the hare coursing licences as a precautionary measure until further information on the disease is available?

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I thank Deputy Whitmore for bringing this important issue forward. The control of live hare coursing, including the operation of individual coursing meetings and managing the use of hares for that activity, is carried out under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958. The statute is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

My responsibility relates to the conservation status of the hare. While the regulation of hare coursing is not under my statutory control, licences are required by the Irish Coursing Club under the terms of the Wildlife Acts on behalf of their affiliated clubs to facilitate the netting and tagging of hares for closed park meetings. The annual licence to capture and tag hares for the 2019-2020 coursing season was issued by my Department on 9 August last year. The licences granted by my Department in such instances include a range of conditions relating to coursing hares that were designed to provide as much protection as possible to the conservation status of the hare.

The RHD2 virus, which affects rabbits and hares, was discovered in several rabbits and hares around the country during last summer. The scientific advice available to my Department at the time and following the issuing of annual licences indicated that the virus was highly contagious and easily spread. Moreover, the Department was advised that catching of hares in nets and keeping them in transportation boxes and confined areas like coursing hare parks could all be considered to increase the risk of disease spread. In these circumstances, given my Department's responsibility in respect of the conservation status of the Irish hare, it was decided to suspend the licences issued to the Irish Coursing Club on 9 August last year until a clearer understanding of the context, spread and implications of RHD2 was developed. A revised more restrictive licence was subsequently issued to the Irish Coursing Club in October 2019 effective to the end of February this year following discussions between the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Irish Coursing Club on the impact of the virus. The restrictions included the condition that the capturing of hares and coursing activity was prohibited in areas within a 25 km radius of where wild rabbits or hares had tested positive for the virus. New zones were added on an ongoing basis as positive tests arose and in these new zones the capturing of hares was to cease immediately. Coursing would only be possible with already captured hares and where the hares were certified in writing by a veterinary surgeon as being healthy. Such hares would only be released back into the wild on foot of such certification. This impacted on a significant number of coursing events.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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I do not think the Minister of State quite answered the question. Will he suspend the licences? We have seen further instances. I am unsure how many hares were found in Wexford and Kildare but there have been confirmed instances.

It appears from the response from the Department that the research work promised has not been carried out. The Department has said that it is working with colleagues and that it will sample rabbits from hunting bags at different locations. In the absence of that scientific data we need to take a precautionary approach in addressing this issue.

The hare is an iconic endemic species in Ireland. There have been instances of this disease in the UK recent years. In some areas there up to 70% of the population was wiped out. We cannot afford to allow that to happen to our hare population. It is important that we restrict and suspend licences at this point until we have sufficient research data available to us that can specify how widespread it is in our population across the country. It is not enough to know where cases involving hares are found. We must be proactive in sampling. Until that happens we should suspend licences. I call on the Minister of State again to suspend licences.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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To increase our knowledge of the prevalence of RHD2 virus across the country the NPWS is working with colleagues in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to develop a national survey of RHD2 in rabbits. This will involve sampling rabbits from hunting bags in different locations throughout the country. The vast majority of rabbits sampled will be those ordinarily taken by licensed hunters in the course of their normal leisure shooting.

A small number of additional animals may be taken for the purpose of the survey to fill geographical gaps. All animals will be tested for RHD2 virus. This will demonstrate the presence of the disease. They will also be tested for RHD2 antibodies to confirm previous exposure.

I agree with Deputy Whitmore. We have to do this based on science and the evidence before us. I share the concerns around hare coursing. Ultimately, this may be a decision that could fall to a senior Minister. I guarantee that our Department will inform the final decision on whether the licensing of netting of hares will take place this year.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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It is disappointing that the Minister of State will not say "Yes" or "No". This area is within the remit of the Minister of State. I would like to see a ban on hare coursing but that is not within the remit of the Minister of State. However, this is within the remit of the Minister of State.

From a conservation perspective, we should take the precautionary approach and decide to protect and conserve our species. We must have the scientific data to do that. We do not have it in this instance. I appeal to the Minister of State to look further and perhaps talk to the senior Minister. I call on him to suspend the licences until we have that data. Untold damage could be taking place at the moment. This is a highly contagious disease. Allowing the netting and capturing of these hares could be spreading it throughout the population. We cannot afford to let that happen. I call on the Minister of State to suspend the licensing.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I share the concerns expressed by Deputy Whitmore. There is no commitment in the programme for Government to ban hare coursing. We would have liked to have secured that, but it is not there.

We are still collating information and data. The decision is due in the next while. I cannot give a commitment today on whether that will be a positive or negative decision. We need to gather all the information, data and veterinary advice on this. I will give a commitment that whatever decision is made will be made based on the best available data. That is the only response I can give to Deputy Whitmore today.