First, I want to put on the record of the House my complete and absolute abhorrence at the cruel practice of enclosed live hare coursing. I have no doubt that a majority of Members in all the political parties represented here share that abhorrence and, if given the opportunity, would vote to ban and bring to an end this shameful cruelty. I trust that, at some stage, my Private Members' Bill will be given time — perhaps later this year — to be debated and that, as was the case in the British Parliament earlier in the year, a free vote will be granted to all Members to vote as they choose on this issue which is not one of Government or national policy.
As you know, a Cheann Comhairle, coursing involves the capture of the hare which is, ironically, one of our protected species of animals and one of the most timid. The captured hares at coursing meetings are let loose in an enclosure and two greyhounds are trained to pursue and terrify the little animal until the hare either escapes through a hatch or is savaged by one or both of the dogs. Indeed, what normally happens is that when one dog sinks its jaws into the hare, which is by then screaming with pain and fear, the second dog arrives and tries to rip the hare from the grip of its rival, resulting in dreadful suffering for the unfortunate hare. In some instances this has resulted in the limbs of the little animal being ripped off and carried the length of the field by a greyhound while the spectators, adults and children, look on.
This is live enclosed hare coursing, Irish style, and it is not helping to promote our image abroad, it is having the opposite effect. It is a great pity that our media do not give this issue the priority it deserves and play their part in exposing it and bringing it to an end.
If the hare is to have any real chance of escape, it must, at the very least, be fit and healthy. Presumably, for this reason, there are very specific licence conditions for the capture of hares at coursing meetings. Condition No. 8 states that "sick or injured hares shall not be taken under this licence." Condition No. 9 states that "hares which become sick or injured while in captivity may not be coursed". In view of these very clear conditions, what happened at the premier coursing event of the year, the national coursing finals in Clonmel, cannot and must not be swept under the carpet if the Minister is not to be seen to be evading his responsibility. In all, 37 hares were killed, many in the manner which I have described already, at this Clonmel so-called festival of coursing.
The Minister, in reply to Parliamentary Question No. 59 on 28 April 1992 stated:
A post mortem examination carried out on the hares indicated high levels of worm infestation and coccidiosis. The General Purposes Committee of the Irish Coursing Club concluded that these findings, coupled with the unseasonable weather conditions, were the major factors in the high level of casualties.
A few weeks later the Irish Cup Meeting at Clounanna had an even higher level of kills but on this occasion we were told that the cause was solely the unseasonable weather conditions. This was according to the Irish Coursing Club, hardly an independent or objective source. Other coursing meeting at Castleisland, Thurles and Kilsheelin, according to a report in The Irish Times on 5 May 1992 had high levels of kills attributed to disease in the animals.
Two years ago, when observers from the Irish Council Against Blood Sports made similar complaints, the chief executive officer of the Irish Coursing Club, Mr. Gerry Desmond, stated: "our primary concern is the care, husbandry and standard of the hares generally." On that occasion the Moate-Tubber coursing club had a three year ban imposed on it arising from unacceptable standards — only after complaints had been made about the condition of the hares.
I put it to the Minister that the standards at the national coursing finals are the direct responsibility of the Irish Coursing Club but these standards have been shown to be unacceptable by the conditions of the licence by which the hares were brought there. I ask the Minister to take the only effective steps left available to him, to bring legislation before this House to bring to an end, once and for all, the barbaric cruelty of live hare coursing.
Will the Minister also comment on statements attributed to the secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Food, Michael Dowling, in the Cork Examiner of 28 April 1992 that the muzzling of coursing dogs is being considered as a compromise solution? Will the Minister also clarify the statement to the Dáil on 12 May this year, Official Report, Column 1026, of the Minister for Agriculture and Food who said: “We are in particular considering with Bord na gCon how coursing can be run in a way which avoids such incidents”?
May I give one minute of my time to Deputy Garland?
