Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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276. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on the need to establish more robust criteria for the granting of licences in view of the amount of footage and evidence brought forward by animal welfare groups on breaches of licences for coursing clubs. [8763/19]

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. There are 29 conditions associated with the licences issued to the Irish Coursing Club which have been developed and refined over the years.

Officials of the NPWS of my Department have monitored 33 coursing events during the current 2018/19 season to date. During the previous 2017/18 season, 35 coursing events were monitored while during the 2016/17 season a total of 17 coursing events were monitored by my Department.

The final event of the current coursing season will take place next Sunday 24 February. All reports in relation to the season will be reviewed and all issues arising, including possible breaches of conditions, will be investigated and considered in the context of applications for licences by the Irish Coursing Club for the 2019/20 coursing season.