Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the points made by the campaign for the abolition of cruel sports with reference to an application by a club (details supplied) to his Department for a licence to net hares for another hare coursing season; his further views on whether the Irish hare is designated as an endangered species here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31929/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I am aware of the views of the Irish Campaign against Blood Sports in connection with hare coursing. Hare coursing in the State is administered by the Irish Coursing Club, a body set up under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958. Statutory responsibility for the Act is a matter for the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism. My responsibilities under the Wildlife Acts relate to the conservation of populations of certain protected species. Where a hunting licence under the Wildlife Act 1976 is required, each licence application is dealt with individually having regard to the conservation impact on the particular species in line with the provisions of the Act. My Department recently issued licences under the Wildlife Acts to the Irish Coursing Club allowing its affiliated clubs to tag and net hares for the purpose of hare coursing for the 2009/2010 season subject to certain conditions.

There is no current evidence that coursing has a significant effect on hare populations and the decision to issue these licences took into consideration the report of the Status of Hares in Ireland — Hare Survey of Ireland 2006/07. The survey showed that the Irish hare is widespread, occurring throughout the entire country. However, population densities for the Irish hare were found to be highly variable and it seems that populations can rapidly increase and decrease in a short space of time. The Irish Hare is listed in Annex V of the Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC). Under Article 17 of the Directive Member States are obliged to report to the European Commission on the status of listed habitats and species every six years. In December 2007, Ireland submitted the first baseline assessments of conservation status for all 59 habitats and some 100 species that occur in Ireland.

Each species was assessed according to its range across Ireland, the population, the quality of its habitat and its future prospects. The reporting template requires the results of the assessment to be expressed as good, inadequate or bad status. The range and future prospects of the Hare were considered favourable. As the extent of population fluctuation between years is not yet understood, it was not possible to identify a specific favourable reference value for population, resulting in an "unknown" response to this assessment category. The habitat was assessed as inadequate because there had been some loss due to urbanisation and agricultural intensification. Although only one assessment category reported an inadequate result the rules of the reporting methodology require that the overall summary position must then be described as inadequate. However, the species is not regarded as endangered within the meaning of the Habitats Directive.