Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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39. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that coursing meetings are automatically cancelled in the event of adverse weather conditions in the interest of animal welfare and safety and as a condition when granting coursing licences. [19870/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Under the provisions of the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 the regulation of coursing is chiefly a matter for the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) subject to the general control and direction of Bord na gCon, which is the statutory body with responsibility for the improvement and development of the greyhound industry, greyhound racing and coursing. The ICC has confirmed that it has systems in place to underpin the welfare of animals participating in coursing events. These include mandatory inspections of hares and coursing venues in advance of the commencement of an event. Greyhounds involved in coursing are subject to the provisions of the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011 and the Code of Practice for the care and welfare of greyhounds, published by Bord na gCon. The ICC has assured the Department that it goes to great lengths to ensure the highest standards are adhered to during coursing. The ICC's rules and regulations (Rule 106) accommodate the postponement of meetings if the weather is unfavourable i.e. snowfall, frost or waterlogged ground, which may affect the welfare of both greyhound and/or hare. The ICC has demonstrated it’s willingness to cancel/postpone meetings in the face of adverse weather conditions. By way of example, one coursing meeting was cancelled and one postponed in the 2015/2016 season due to flooding, and this would be a routine practice for all clubs affiliated to the ICC. During extreme weather conditions, it is also the practice of clubs to provide additional food for hares living on hare preserves protected by coursing clubs.

A very high proportion (99.33%) of the hares captured for hare coursing were returned to the wild at the end of the 2015/2016 season.

The systems that are in place are, in my view, effective and are working well.