Bríd Smith
Question:16. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether he will support a ban on coursing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34760/23]
View answerThursday, 13 July 2023
Questions (16)
Written answers
Coursing is regulated under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly by the Irish Coursing Club (ICC), subject to the general control and direction of Rásaíocht Con Éireann. The ICC consists of 90 affiliated clubs from Ireland and Northern Ireland, all of whom are governed by the ICC's rules and regulations.
The granting of licenses for the netting and tagging of hares is a matter for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage - National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
A monitoring committee on coursing is in place, comprising officials from my Department, the ICC and the NPWS, to monitor developments in coursing and, in that regard, the situation is kept under constant review to ensure that coursing is run in a controlled manner.
I believe that it is critically important that those involved in coursing operate in accordance with the regulatory framework and that the welfare of both hares and greyhounds is always to the forefront. My Department has no plans at present to alter this arrangement.