Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 1163: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the powers available to him in terms of the monitoring and licensing of hare coursing events; the funding provided directly to hare coursing in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31092/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Coursing Club, which is the controlling authority for the breeding and coursing of greyhounds, does not receive funding for coursing from my Department or Bord na gCon.

My Department oversees a Monitoring Committee on coursing. This committee comprises of a veterinary inspector, representatives of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, now part of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and the Irish Coursing Club. The veterinary inspector attends 10-15% of all coursing meetings on behalf of the Department while officers of the National Parks and Wildlife Service also attend coursing meetings. The Monitoring Committee meets annually — usually in advance of the start of the coursing season and considers any issues arising from the previous season including reports received from the veterinary inspector and the officers of the National Parks and Wildlife Service in respect of the previous years coursing meetings.