Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 October 2017
270. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the oversight mechanisms that are in place to ensure that hares used at coursing meetings are not recaptured after their release into the wild and coursed again as per the rules of an organisation (details supplied). [41237/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has 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 must be released back into the wild during daylight hours after the coursing has concluded unless otherwise agreed, in advance, with the relevant National Parks and Wildlife Service officials.
It is also a condition of the licence that in all matters relating to coursing there must be full compliance with the Directives, Instructions and Guidance Notes issued by the Irish Coursing Club. One of the provisions of the Irish Coursing Club in that regard is that hares earmarked and released may not be taken up and coursed at any subsequent park meeting.
Therefore, while there may be a possibility that a released hare could be recaptured for a future coursing meeting, the conditions require that hare should not be coursed again. As resources permit, NPWS officials monitor as many meetings as possible in order to ensure compliance with the conditions of the licenses.
The question of future licenses issued by my Department in respect of coursing meetings will be kept under review in light of any issues brought to my attention by National Parks and Wildlife officials or by others and I will make any changes that I consider appropriate.
