Written answers

Tuesday, 12 October 2004

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Animal Welfare

9:00 pm

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 364: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of prosecutions taken by his Department for the unlawful capture of hares; the locations at which the captures took place; the outcome of the prosecutions; if the purpose of the unlawful captures was established in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24388/04]

Photo of Dick RocheDick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Two relevant prosecutions are under way. Pending the outcome, it would not be appropriate to specify further details of these prosecutions at this stage.

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 365: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the licensing conditions for the capture of hares will be altered to include the prohibition of the removal of hares from the State. [24389/04]

Photo of Dick RocheDick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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For the 2004-05 season a number of additional conditions have been attached to the annual licence issued by my Department to the Irish Coursing Club and its affiliated clubs to capture live hares, including a prohibition on the removal of captured hares from the State.

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 366: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of deer which remain in the wild following hunts organised by the Ward Union Hunt; the location of these deer; the reason they are not recaptured; the responsibilities of the Ward Union authorities in relation to uncaptured deer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24390/04]

Photo of Dick RocheDick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is responsible for issuing an annual licence to the Ward Union Hunt Club. One of the conditions attached to the licence in recent years requires that, by a particular date, "the Ward Union Hunt Club shall inform the Minister of the number and sex of all deer released and not recaptured together with an indication of where such deer were last sighted".

The Ward Union Hunt Club has informed my Department that some deer prove elusive when attempts are made to recapture them. It assesses each case individually and decides whether the animal should be left free or subjected to repeated attempts at recapture. The Ward Union Hunt Club hunting code of practice provides that any deer actively hunted, but not recaptured, will not be hunted again for at least 30 days afterwards. The Ward Union Hunt Club has provided me with the following figures on all deer released but not recaptured up to the end of the 2003-04 season:

Number Location
1 male Maptown, Ballyboughil
1 male Reynoldstown, Cloghertow
1 male Dunsany Estate
1 male Dunsany Estate
1 male Dunsany Estate
1 male Bellewstown
1 male Balrath
1 male Ardmulchan, Navan
1 male Dunderry
1 male Rathfeigh
1 male Dunsany Estate
1 male Meadesbrook
1 male Greenpark, Dunshaughlin
1 male Dunderry
Total: 14 males

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