Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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52. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht during the 2015-2016 hare coursing season to date, how many meetings has she monitored through the National Parks and Wildlife Services, given her commitment to do so, and how many organisers have been found to be in breach of the conditions of their licences. [43459/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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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 which 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 I understand that there are many individuals opposed to hare coursing there is no current evidence that coursing has a significant effect on hare populations and the decision to issue licences took into consideration the final report of the Status of Hares in Ireland – Hare Survey of Ireland 2006/07.

In August this year, my Department issued licences under the Wildlife Acts to the Irish Coursing Club, covering their affiliated coursing clubs, to capture and tag hares for use at regulated hare coursing meetings for the 2015/16 coursing season, which extends from the end of September 2015 to the end of February 2016. To date, officials of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department have monitored six meetings. My Department will be examining these reports and, should there be any alleged breaches of licence conditions, these will be followed with the Irish Coursing Club and individual clubs.

Regional staff of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department will continue to attend coursing meetings during the 2015/16 season, as resources allow, to monitor compliance with the conditions of the licences.