A pro-bloodsports Fianna Fail politician who lost his seat in the February general election and who failed to win a seat in the Seanad election will take a seat in the Seanad after all, thanks to a nomination from new Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
Former Clare TD, Timmy Dooley - who once declared that he "would not, and will not, support any legislation that would seek to ban [greyhound racing, fox hunting, hare coursing]" - is one of 11 Seanad nominations from the Fianna Fail leader.
Timmy Dooley's unsuccessful attempt to get on to the Seanad's Industrial and Commercial panel earlier this year came after he lost his Dail Eireann seat in the general election.
Last year he was at the centre of a Dail “phantom voting” scandal and was suspended from the Fianna Fail front bench by Micheál Martin.
In 2010, he claimed that greyhound racing, fox hunting and hare coursing were an "integral part of the fabric of rural life”.
In 2016, he was among the 114 TDs who shamefully voted against Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan’s bill which sought to ban cruel hare coursing.
He has also backed the channelling of massive amounts of taxpayers' money into horse and greyhound racing. In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, he voted in favour of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations which granted €80 million/€80 million/€84 million/€84 million of taxpayers’ money to the two gambling activities.
Among the others nominated to the Seanad by the new Taoiseach is former Fine Gael TD Regina Doherty who also lost her seat in the last general election. She has voted against proposed bans on some of Ireland’s worst acts of cruelty to animals – foxhunting, hare coursing, digging out, terrierwork, ferreting, badger culling and fur farming.
Like Timmy Dooley, she has voted in favour of €328 million in funding for horse and greyhound racing in the past four years.
ACTION ALERT
Contact Fianna Fáil and leader Micheal Martin and urge them to respect the wishes of the majority of Irish citizens who want foxhunting and hare coursing banned and funding to cruel greyhound racing stopped.
Fianna Fail Head Office
Áras de Valera
65-66 Lower Mount Street
Dublin 2
Telephone: 01 676 1551
Email: info@fiannafail.ie
Micheál Martin
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 3000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Sign and share our petitions
Ireland - Ban cruel hare coursing
www.change.org/p/ireland-ban-cruel-hare-coursing
Irish Government: Stop Giving Millions of Euro to Cruel Greyhound Industry
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euro-to-cruel-greyhound-industry
Stop supporting the cruel greyhound industry
https://www.change.org/p/stop-supporting-the-cruel-greyhound-industry
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https://www.paypal.me/banbloodsports