Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 September 2017
250. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the measures she will take to ensure that the regulations for coursing clubs, including the condition that no hare will be coursed more than once per day, will be upheld; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40707/17]
View answerThe control of live hare coursing, including the operation of individual coursing meetings and managing the use of hares for that activity, is carried out under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. My responsibility relates to the conservation status of the hare.
In August this year, my Department issued licences under the Wildlife Acts to the Irish Coursing Club, covering its affiliated coursing clubs, to capture and tag hares for use at regulated hare coursing meetings for the 2017/18 coursing season, which extends from the end of September 2017 to the end of February 2018.
There are 22 conditions associated with the licences issued to the Irish Coursing Club which have been developed and refined over the year. One of the conditions requires that hares may not be coursed more than once on the same day. In addition, the licence specifically requires that hares that have been coursed can be readily identified to ensure that this condition is rigidly observed.
Veterinary staff from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine carry out inspections during the coursing season to monitor compliance with the rules governing animal welfare relating to greyhounds and hares. The Irish Coursing Club also attends local coursing meetings. In addition, where resources allow, local National Parks and Wildlife Service Conservation Rangers attend coursing meetings, on a spot-check basis, to monitor compliance with licences issued to the ICC and its affiliated clubs.
