Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

563. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding coursing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33650/20]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

606. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will suspend hare coursing in view of the level 5 restrictions and instruction from the National Parks and Wildlife Service; and if an order will be given to release all hares in captivity. [32943/20]

Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

614. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has considered issuing a directive to those involved in the hare coursing industry to release the hares that they have in captivity in view of the clarity given about the activity being banned as part of the level 5 restrictions. [33040/20]

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

618. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will order the release of captured hares into the wild now that hare coursing events can no longer go ahead under level 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33132/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 563, 606, 614 and 618 together.

The control of live hare coursing, including the operation of individual coursing meetings and managing the use of hares and greyhounds for that activity, is carried out under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, which is the responsibility of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Accordingly, I have no function in relation to determining whether coursing is an activity which is permissible under the Government's public health regulations in relation to COVID-19

The licence issued by my Department to the Irish Coursing Club (ICC), to capture and tag hares for the current 2020/21 was temporarily suspended with effect from 21 October 2020 as it was not clear that the netting of hares was compliant with the COVID 19 regulations. The ICC announced a suspension of both parkland and open coursing events due to the Level 5 restrictions. I welcome this decision by the ICC as it is important that all sectors of society abide by the Government restrictions during the Covid 19 response.

My Department is aware that a number of coursing clubs have already captured hares on the basis of forthcoming coursing meetings which are now suspended. As it would be at least 6 weeks before that suspension is lifted my Department instructed the ICC to inform coursing clubs that they should release captured hares back into the wild as soon as possible. Failure to release the hares will be viewed as an egregious breach of the licence and my Department will be obliged to take necessary action, including under the Wildlife Acts, in that regard.