Vol. 423 No. 4
174 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reasons for the very high hare kill at a coursing meeting (details supplied) when 21 hares, in a clearly unfit state, were killed; if a post mortem will be carried out to establish whether there was any illness in the hares; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 the control of coursing is a matter for the Irish Coursing Club (ICC), subject to the overall control of Bord na gCon. I understand that a report by the ICC Control Steward of the meeting in question has been referred to the ICC General Purposes sub-Committee and is awaiting consideration by that committee; I have also been informed that there was no post-mortem carried out in this case as the pre-meeting inspection showed no indication of illness or disease in the hares. It will be a matter for the ICC and Bord na gCon to decide what action, if any, will be necessary when the General Purposes sub-Committee has considered the Control Steward's report.
