Vol. 406 No. 7
177 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the practice of badger baiting still occurs in Ireland; whether any prosecutions have taken place within the last five years in relation to this sport, and if he will make a statement on his intentions to stamp out this barbaric practice.
I fully share the Deputy's abhorrence of badger baiting. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda will continue to ensure that any reported cases of badger baiting are fully investigated and are brought to the notice of the Director of Public Prosecutions, where appropriate. Towards this end they will continue to liaise with officers of both the Wildlife Service and the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
I am also informed that the Garda have no evidence to suggest that the practice of badger baiting still occurs to any significant extent in this country and that while a number of alleged incidents of such activity have been investigated by them, there have been no prosecutions for any such incidents in the past five years.
