Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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1211. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if course trials are held simply to familiarise hares with the venue as the licence stipulates (details supplied); the reason greyhound owners are expected to pay €30 each just to observe the alleged familiarising process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54251/18]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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My Department issued the Irish Coursing Club with licences in August 2018 on behalf of its affiliated clubs to capture and tag hares for the 2018/19 coursing season which included 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 the spot-checks and to monitor compliance with licences issued to the Irish Coursing Club and its affiliated clubs. I have no role in relation to the payment of any fees relating to these trials.