Phil Hogan shamefully defended the cruel Ward Union deer hunt. During a Dail Eireann debate on the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2010 (24 June 2010), then Fine Gael TD Phil Hogan called on TDs to reject the bill which banned the hunting of domesticated deer with packs of hounds.
He farcically claimed that the licensing of the hunt and the monitoring of the activity was “a system that takes account of animal welfare in a very serious way”. This despite evidence of bloodied deer at the end of hunts, deer being violently wrestled to the ground and a Department of Agriculture Veterinary Inspector confirming in a report that the deerhunt was “inhumane”.
Another veterinary inspector outlined how a stag “having run at least 8 miles in 90 minutes showed extreme physical distress, panting through its mouth and with a lather of white foam around its muzzle.” Reported fatalities included a deer who died of an aneurism and one who was “accidentally” choked to death during capture.
A week after Phil Hogan’s speech, the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2010 was passed with the support of Fianna Fail, the Green Party and four Independent TDs.
Fine Gael pledged at the time to repeal the ban but it remains in place today. However, due to a loophole, the Ward Union continues hounding deer across the countryside of Meath and North County Dublin. The legislation makes it an offence to hunt deer with “two or more dogs” so twice weekly between October and March, the Ward Union release a deer from their private herd and unleash ONE hound to chase the animal. The pack of hounds is then released to “follow the scent” of the fleeing deer. ICABS has urged the government to close this loophole in the legislation.
Watch Phil Hogan’s full speech
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqsLh1M0Hk4
Read a transcript of the entire debate at
https://www.oireachtas.ie/ga/debates/debate/dail/2010-06-24/10/
ACTION ALERT
Urge Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar to close a loophole in the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2010 and bring the Ward Union hunt to an end.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar
Telephone: +353 (0)1-704 3630 OR +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
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