Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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54. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of breaches of coursing licence conditions the National Parks and Wildlife Service recorded during the 2015 and 2016 coursing seasons; and if she is providing sufficient resources to monitor and oversee coursing. [19872/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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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 extended from the end of September 2015 to the end of February 2016.

Regional staff of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department attend coursing meetings, as resources allow, to monitor compliance with the conditions of the licences. Staffing requirements for the NPWS, as with all other areas of my Department, remain the subject of on-going consideration in light of the overall business needs of my Department and within the pay framework approved for 2016.

Notwithstanding current staffing constraints, NPWS officials monitored some 16 meetings during the 2015/16 season. Arising from the reports of these meetings, I am aware that a number of issues have been raised with the Irish Coursing Club. These matters will be further discussed at a meeting between officials of my Department and the Irish Coursing Club in the coming weeks.