Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

68. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to a shortage of hares for coursing events in recent weeks; and if NPWS officials will take steps in view of this to ensure that hares are earmarked with dye immediately upon release after events to ensure that they are not in continuous use by hare coursing clubs and that NPWS officers will be present to monitor upcoming events on the fixture list of an organisation (details supplied). [47713/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department has issued licences to the organisation in question on behalf of its affiliated clubs to capture and tag hares during the 2017/18 coursing season.    The type of tagging device which is allowed is either an earmark or a spray dye.  During the 2016/17 coursing season, conservation rangers of my Department attended seventeen coursing meetings and the same number of meetings was monitored during the 2015/16 season.  While my Department does not have resources to provide 100% attendance at coursing meetings it endeavours to attend as many meetings as possible having regard to the various demands on its staffing complement.  It is my intention that a greater number of coursing events, including the release of hares after coursing meetings, will be monitored in the 2017/18 season than in the previous season.