Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I fully support the contents of Senator Coffey's contribution. Like the previous speaker, I also wish to know from the Minister of State the reason his senior colleague has done a complete about-turn. I regret that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, is not present in the House and trust he has other parliamentary duties to attend to. He should be present to defend the stance he has taken. There is great concern, anxiety and fear in rural Ireland and among hunt clubs and associated country sports organisations. By virtue of this section, in particular, the Minister is introducing what I described on Second Stage as a Trojan horse to attack rural sports, hunt clubs in particular. We need assurances from him that this is not his intention.

I refer to the correspondence made available to us by various organisations in recent months. It appears that during a phase of crucial discussions on the renewed programme for Government there was significant political pressure exerted on the Minister by anti-hunt organisations to introduce strict, new laws, in other words, to introduce anti-hunt laws. At that point it appears he did his U-turn on this section of the Bill. As pointed out by previous speakers and during the debate on Second Stage, a number of commitments were given in writing by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government that hunt clubs would be fully exempt from the regulations. Something has changed dramatically and we need to know what it is. That is why I am disappointed the Minister is not here. We need him to tell us what are his exact intentions. Why has he made this significant policy change?

I assure the Minister of State I do not want this issue to hinge on the urban-rural divide. Many in urban Ireland, including every provincial town, are interested in country sports. The Minister of State should take on board our concerns about the inclusion of hunt clubs in this legislation. He needs to give us a strong commitment about the future of hunt clubs, hunting, country and rural sports. I do not think I am exaggerating when I suggest these regulations could be the first step on a rocky and tricky road for hunt clubs. They will place a financial, administrative and legislative burden on them. We are talking about clubs which regulate themselves in a laudable, professional and transparent fashion. It is a given that rural organisations, including hunt and coursing clubs, cannot survive if they do not meet the highest standards of animal husbandry, hygiene and animal feeding propriety. They would not exist if they did not look after these matters with near perfection. The Minister's regulations will not cause any animal to be looked after in a better fashion — they are already being looked after as thoroughly and properly as one would demand. The Bill will not make life any better for the animals in a hunt club, but it will impose a major administrative burden on hunt clubs. It will unnecessarily focus the spotlight of the State on organisations which are doing a great deal to maintain and develop the fabric of the interesting jigsaw that is rural life, of which rural organisations are a part.

I understand the Minister of State has to do his job as the spokesman for the senior Minister. I suspect his views on this substantial amendment to the legislation are not very different from my own. As such I look forward to hearing his comments. If the Minister of State wants to send a signal to rural Ireland that he values and treasures its traditions and ethos, he should accept this amendment. If we see such traditions not just as historical but as important for the Ireland of today, we should help them to survive into the future. We should ensure hunting and coursing clubs and other rural organisations such as point-to-point associations remain part of the fabric of rural Ireland. If the Minister of State examines the Second Stage contributions made in this House, he will find that many of his Government colleagues would be happy to make this change. We do not want this legislation to be a Trojan horse, as that would be the beginning of the end for some country sports organisations. We, therefore, need strong commitments from him. We really need him to accept the amendment.