My Department has received an application from the Irish Coursing Club for a licences to capture and tag hares for the forthcoming 2022/23 hare coursing season. This is being considered at present, and a decision will be made on the application in due course.
The Irish hare is protected under the Irish Wildlife Acts and can only be captured, tagged or killed under licence. The hare is also listed on Annex V of EU Directive 92/43/EEC (the Habitats Directive) and this listing requires member states to manage the hare sustainably. The Habitats Directive also requires Ireland to make a detailed report every six years on the conservation status of all listed species, including the hare. Ireland’s most recent report in 2019 included a comprehensive assessment of the range, population status, habitat and threats for the Irish hare. The report can be downloaded at www.npws.ie/publications/article-17-reports/article-17-reports-2019.
The 2019 report states that the hare is widespread and common in Ireland with a broad habitat; it is found throughout the country from coastal habitats to upland heath and bog. The report does highlight some concerns about the loss of habitat quality due to agricultural intensification and afforestation, but overall the species was considered to be in favourable conservation status.
Following initial concerns about the potential impact of RHD2 on the Irish hare after the disease was first reported in the wild in Ireland, the number of records declined significantly. Only two positive records were recorded in 2021 - one hare and one rabbit - and one rabbit in 2022. Nonetheless the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department, together with colleagues in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, are continuing to monitor for RHD2 in the wild in Ireland.
