Tony Gregory
Question:230 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if the deer hunted by the Ward Union Hunt are wild or domesticated animals. [11402/00]
Written Answers. - Hunt Licensing.
The Deputy will be aware that, in accordance with advice received by me from the Heritage Council, I sought clarification from the Attorney General as to the legal status of the deer hunted by the Ward Union Hunt. Having considered the advice that I received from the Heritage Council and from the Attorney General, it did not appear to me that there was a case for refusing to licence the hunt in the context of my remit, which is primarily related to wildlife conservation and following consultations between my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, I decided that the relevant provision of section 26 of the Wildlife Act, 1976, should remain unchanged. The legal advice available to me indicated that that provision is clearly the intended mechanism for regulating the activities of the Ward Union Hunt and I consider that those activities should continue to be so regulated. While there is no conservation concern at issue in this context, my Department, assisted by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, has had discussions with the hunt, in the context of the renewal of its licence, regarding means by which public concerns expressed in relation to the deer in question may be addressed to the maximum extent possible.