The Minister for Culture and Heritage has said that "netting and collecting hares for coursing meetings has been identified as a SIGNIFICANT RISK FACTOR in spreading the [RHD2] disease" which threatens the future of the Irish Hare species.

Minister Josepha Madigan was responding to a Dail Question from Maureen O'Sullivan TD (Dublin Central, Independent) who asked if she would "maintain a ban on hare netting which was imposed since 9 August 2019 in response to the RHD2 disease".

Minister Madigan stated: "I have decided to maintain the suspension of the licences issued to the Irish Coursing Club to capture and tag hares for the 2019/20 hare coursing season".

The deadly, highly infectious RHD2 virus has so far been identified in dead rabbits and hares in six counties.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service has warned that the virus could be “catastrophic” for the Irish Hare.

At least two hares are now known to have died from the virus. The first one “ran around in circles and fell down, then got up again and ran around in circles again and fell down.”

Read the full Dail question and answer at https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2019-09-19a.30 and please respond to the action alert below.

In a renewed appeal to Minister Josepha Madigan, ICABS stated: “Now that your department has identified RHD2 in the hare population and acknowledged that it could prove catastrophic for the species, there is no going back. The Irish public will not accept any return to the licensing of a bloodsport which involves netting thousands of hares from the wild, holding them in captivity (thus increasing their vulnerability to disease) and using them as live lures for dogs to chase.”

“The public expects you to not only announce a permanent end to coursing but also an end to all forms of hare hunting, including beagling, harrying and shooting,” we added. “It’s time for the Irish Hare to finally get the protection it deserves.”

URGENT ACTION ALERT

Demand an end to Ireland's cruel hare coursing which involves snatching thousands of hares from the wild and using them as live lures for dogs to chase - all for the amusement of a merciless mob who cheer on the dogs and place bets on which dog will force the unfortunate hare to change direction first.

Contact Minister Josepha Madigan and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TODAY and urge them to announce a total and permanent end to all hare coursing and hare hunting in Ireland.

Email "Permanently end cruel hare coursing and hare hunting NOW" to josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie

An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion St, Dublin 2
Telephone: +353 (0)1-6194020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: @LeoVaradkar
Leave a comment on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar

Josepha Madigan
Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Phone: +353 (0)1 631 3800
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://facebook.com/JosephaMadiganFG
Tweet to: @josephamadigan

Fine Gael
51 Upper Mount Street
Dublin 2
Tel: 01 619 8444
Email: finegael@finegael.ie
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