Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 April 2019
26. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of hares captured for coursing for the 2018-2019 season; the number that have run courses to date in this season; the number pinned; the number examined by a vet; the number requiring treatment; the number euthanised; the number that died from injuries and natural causes, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16489/19]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy for the 2018/19 season, which would be provided to my Department by the Irish Coursing Club (ICC), is not yet available as the ICC are still compiling the data for the 2018/19 season which ended at the end of February this year. However, figures available for the 2017/18 season provided by the ICC indicate that some 5,044 hares were captured for coursing meetings, 5,017 hares were coursed, 177 hares pinned and 27 hares died during coursing meetings either through injuries, natural causes or were euthanised. Information on the number of hares examined by a veterinary surgeon or the number requiring treatment are available on individual veterinary and conservation ranger reports in respect of 2017/18 season which are published on the website of the National Parks and at https://www.npws.ie/licences/hare-coursing. Some of these reports for the 2018/19 season for a number of meetings are also available on the NPWS website.
