Vol. 420 No. 5
16 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food whether the Irish Coursing Club are obliged to release hares after a coursing meeting; and if he will make a statement on the situation relating to the recoursing of hares other than on the same day.
There is no legal requirement on a coursing club to release hares at the end of a coursing meeting. However, a standing directive from the Irish Coursing Club to all their constituent clubs requires that, at the conclusion of every coursing meeting all hares must be tattooed and released back to the wild. The directive also requires that this should be done under the supervision of a control steward of the club. The Irish Coursing Club are recognised under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, subject to the general control and direction of Bord na gCon, as the controlling authority for the breeding and coursing of greyhounds.
The rules of the Irish Coursing Club make it an offence for a club to course a hare more than once on any day of coursing or trials. In the event of a meeting lasting more than one day a number of hares may be coursed again on the second or third day but at the conclusion of the meeting, must be tattooed and released back to the wild.
Is the Minister totally satisfied that these conditions are being strictly observed by the coursing club, because we have information to the contrary?
My information is that these regulations are being observed.
Could the Minister indicate to us what information he has that these regulations are being observed? The only way the Minister could be objectively satisfied would be if there was a wildlife officer in attendance to witness whether or not the hares are released. It is a fact that wildlife officers are rarely in attendance at coursing meetings. If this is not the case, could the Minister indicate how regularly wildlife officers attend coursing meetings. Further——
I am not sure that that is part of the question, Deputy.
Let me further ask the Minister to ensure that these regulations are being adhered to by directing that wildlife officers attend all coursing meetings and witness the release of hares.
The Deputy is raising a separate matter warranting a separate question.
It relates to the issue in question.
It is a separate question. The Wildlife Act is administered by the Office of Public Works. I do not have a detailed reply to the Deputy's question but I can certainly ask my colleague in the Office of Public Works and pass the information on to the Deputy.
Let me make the position clear. The question relates to whether or not hares are being recoursed in contravention of the regulations and the Minister stated in his reply that he had information that this was not happening. I am asking the Minister if he could indicate to me where his information comes from. I am suggesting that the controls steward of a coursing club to which he refers is not an independent source of information. Coursing clubs have been shown——
We have had some specific questions.
Will you allow the Minister to answer? Coursing clubs have been shown, according to replies to parliamentary questions, to be using diseased and sick hares.
The Deputy is embarking on a speech. This is not good enough.
I am not. I am making a point——
Deputy Gregory, please desist. Allow your supplementary questions to be replied to.
Could I make one final point?
A question, Deputy.
By way of question, which I have tried to explain, I am simply making the point——
There is no need for explanation.
——that coursing club officials are not independent sources of information.
I have heard all of that before. The Minister to reply now, or else we shall proceed to the next question.
The legal position regarding the Irish Coursing Club controls is governed by section 26 (2) of the Greyhound Industry Act, which recognises the Irish Coursing Club as being subject to the general control and direction of Bord na gCon, the controlling authority for the breeding and coursing of greyhounds.
