Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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656. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the purpose of hare coursing trials; the monitoring of such trials that are taking place; if participants are paying a fee to take part in these trials; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4009/18]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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My Department issued the Irish Coursing Club with a revised licence in October 2017 on behalf of its affiliated clubs which included new and revised conditions relating to the reporting of coursing trials.

It is my understanding that it is normal practice for some coursing clubs to "trial" or familiarise hares with the course in advance of coursing meetings. This involves releasing the hares from the same location from which they will be released at the actual coursing meeting with the intention that they would become familiar with the route to the escape in a live coursing scenario.

Where resources allow, local National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) conservation rangers and other staff attend coursing meetings to conduct on a spot-checks and to monitor compliance

with licences issued to the Irish Coursing Club and its affiliated clubs. During the current 2017/18 coursing season some twenty four coursing events have been monitored by officials of my Department, including trials. I have no role in relation to the payment of any fees relating to these trials.