Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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591. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the details of hare coursing licences issued, by county, over the past four years; the number of hares captured under those licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44716/24]

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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595. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of hares captured for coursing for the 2022-2023 season; the number that have run courses to date in this season; the number pinned; the number examined by a vet; the number requiring treatment; the number euthanised; the number that died from injuries and natural causes, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44728/24]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 591 and 595 together.

Hare coursing is administered by the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) which is a body set up under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958. Statutory responsibility for the Act resides with the Minster for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

One licence was issued each year to the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) under Section 34 of the Wildlife Act 1976, as amended, to allow for the capture of hares and also one licence under Section 32 of the Wildlife Act, as amended, to tag hares. One licence under Section 26(3) of the same Act was also issued to Kilflynn Coursing Club each of the last four years to hold regulated coursing trials/meetings.

Licences are published on the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) website www.npws.ie/licencesandconsents/hare-coursing.

The number of hares captured under the licences issued under Section 34 of the Act for the past 4 years are as follows:

• 2020/2021 Season - 3,430
• 2021/2022 Season - 3,690
• 2022/2023 Season - 3,398
• 2023/2024 Season - 3,325

• hares captured for the 2022-2023 coursing season - 3,398
• hares that have run courses to date this season - 1,316
• hares pinned this season - 18
• hares examined by a vet this season - 19
• hares requiring treatment this season - 1
• hares euthanised this season - 0
• hares that died from injuries this season - 1
• hares that died from natural causes this season - 0