‘I voted Green but deliberate and organised cruelty to animals posing as "sport" is not Green to my way of thinking. I didn't vote to allow hare coursing or fox hunting to continue. Nor would I vote for any "deal" that enshrined the continued legality of these obscenities.’ Read John Fitzgerald’s Letter to the Editor in today’s Irish Examiner...
Cruelty to animals is not "Green"
Letter to the Editor, Irish Examiner, June 18th 2020
Campaigners against hare coursing and fox hunting pressed for the inclusion of a commitment to abolish these extremely cruel practices in the programme for government.
Sadly, the document lacks any meaningful animal welfare protections: Live exports will continue, the only "concession" being that more vets will attend at the ports to inspect the animals before they depart on their long, hellish journeys.
Lavish state funding of the cruel greyhound industry will continue, as will badger culling. The pledge that the snaring of badgers will end "as soon as possible” is meaningless…similar to a pledge contained in the Programme for Government of the Fianna Fail-Green coalition of a decade ago. That promise proved hollow.
But the biggest betrayal of the animal welfare cause has been the silence on hare coursing and fox hunting. The powerful and well-financed pro-blood sport lobby has got its way again.
Foxes will have to run from packs of hounds for another five years if the deal is passed by the three parties. Thanks to political connivance, these animals will be chased until their lungs give out. Then they’ll have the skin ripped from their bones, compliments of the programme for government.
The humble hare will be snatched from its natural habitat and forced to run from dogs; all for a gamble and a laugh. Added to the cruelty of this practice is the confirmed outbreak of RHD2 disease, a deadly virus that has been killing hares and rabbits in Ireland since last autumn and is highly contagious. It can be spread by the use of nets to capture hares for coursing.
"If you want Green, vote Green" went the election slogan.
I voted Green…but deliberate and organised cruelty to animals posing as "sport" is not Green to my way of thinking. I didn't vote to allow hare coursing or fox hunting to continue. Nor would I vote for any "deal" that enshrined the continued legality of these obscenities.
John Fitzgerald
Campaign for the Abolition Of Cruel Sports
SEE ALSO
GREENS CAPITULATE ON ANIMAL CRUELTY: There is to be no let-up of the horrific abuse meted out to Ireland’s hares and foxes, following weeks of talks between Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green party, with not a mention of bloodsports issues in the Programme for Government https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/3002648016517403