Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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7. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the banning of hare coursing given the cruel nature of the practice and the protected nature of the hare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51711/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Coursing is regulated under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly by the Irish Coursing Club, subject to the general control and direction of Rásaíocht Con Éireann; hare coursing is managed and regulated by the Irish Coursing Club.  The organisation consists of 89 affiliated clubs from Ireland and Northern Ireland, all of whom are governed by the ICC’s rules and regulations. 

The granting of licenses for the netting and tagging of hares is a matter for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage – National Parks and Wildlife Service. 

A monitoring committee on coursing is in place, comprising officials from my Department, the ICC and the National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS), to monitor developments in coursing and, in that regard, the situation is kept under constant review to ensure that coursing is run in a controlled manner.

The committee meets annually to review the previous coursing season and any matters arising.

I believe that it is critically important that those involved in coursing operate in accordance with the regulatory framework and that the welfare of both hares and greyhounds is at the forefront at all times. I have no plans at present to alter this arrangement.