Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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317. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if eight hares were killed on the first day of a coursing meeting by a club (details supplied) on 15 October 2021; the results of any post-mortems carried out on these hares; if this coursing meeting was called off on day one; and if the club was accommodated by another club to run its various stakes on the following weekend of 23 and 24 October 2021. [53982/21]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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318. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will report on the health of all the hares in captivity at a club (details supplied); and if these hares were released into the wild after the meeting on 15 October 2021 was called off. [53983/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 317 and 318 together.

Officials from my Department were present at the meeting of 15 October 2021 arranged by the club referred to by the Deputy. 3 hares died during the course of the first day of the meeting. A post mortem was carried on the three hares by Athlone Regional Veterinary laboratory on Monday 18 October 2021. The netting licence for this club was immediately and indefinitely suspended pending a full investigation of this matter, which is ongoing.

The control of live hare coursing, including the operation of individual coursing meetings and managing the use of hares for that activity, is carried out under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. My responsibility relates to the conservation status of the hare. My Officials were not informed by the club concerned of any alternative arrangements for the stakes that were due to be run by the club during their own meeting.

The remaining hares have since been released, and appeared to be in good health.