Vol. 499 No. 4
52 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands her views on whether all conditions attached to the licence issued in respect of stag hunting were fully complied with in the hunt allowed recently in County Meath as witnessed on television; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2804/99]
147 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if she will report on the progress on the regulation in relation to granting licences to stag hunts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2768/99]
Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 52 agus 147 le cheile.
There are three conditions attached to the licence which issued under section 26 (1)(ii) of the Wildlife Act, 1976, to the Ward Union Hunt Club. These conditions provide:
(a) that deer may be hunted from 15 October 1998 to 31 March 1999;
(b) that the club shall supply details of the number and sex of all deer released and not recaptured together with an indication of where such deer were last sighted, this information to be supplied as soon as possible after 31 March 1999; and
(c) that I, as Minister, may appoint a person or persons to undertake the monitoring of the Ward Union Hunt Club and that the licensee will co-operate with such person or persons and will indemnify and keep indemnified me, as Minister, and the Minister for Agriculture and Food in relation to such monitoring.
Monitoring of the hunt is carried out on an intermittent basis and I understand that there were no officers present from my own Department or from the Department of Agriculture and Food at the particular hunt referred to by Deputy Reynolds. I am not aware of any breach of the conditions attached to the licence.
In accordance with views conveyed to me by the heritage council as part of its review of the issue of licences under the provisions of section 26 of the Wildlife Act, 1976, I have sought clarification from the Attorney General as to the legal status of the deer hunted by the Ward Union Hunt Club, whether they are wild or domesticated, or whether they constitute private property. I intend to address the matter further following receipt of the advice of the Attorney General and appropriate consultation with the Minister for Agriculture and Food.
