The Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has shamefully assured a Fine Gael colleague that he is working to ensure the "affordability and availability of insurance for all individuals, businesses and community groups across the country, including for hunts".
Minister Donohoe (Dublin Central) was responding to a Dail Question from pro-bloodsports TD Paul Kehoe (Wexford) who asked about "measures that are being undertaken to ensure access to affordable insurance for hunts"
“The Government is acutely aware of the concerns felt by many sectors, including the ones highlighted by the Deputy, regarding the cost and availability of insurance and has therefore prioritised the implementation of the Action Plan for Insurance Reform,” Minister Donohoe told Paul Kehoe. “I would like to take this opportunity to assure the Deputy that securing a more sustainable and competitive market through deepening and widening the supply of insurance in Ireland remains a key policy priority for this Government. In this regard, it is my intention to work with my Government colleagues to ensure that the implementation of the Action Plan can continue to have a positive impact on the affordability and availability of insurance for all individuals, businesses and community groups across the country, including for hunts, other leisure, sporting and charity businesses.” See full reply at https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2021-11-11a.631
Shame on both of these Fine Gael TDs for disregarding the appalling cruelty and killing involved in hunting and pushing for affordable insurance for groups who find fun in chasing foxes to exhaustion and watching as packs of dogs attack and rip them apart. Their stance is an insult to the vast majority of citizens who recognise this bloodsport as unacceptable in modern Ireland. This was confirmed by a RED C poll which found that a 77% majority want the government to ban foxhunting, with just 12% in favour of the cruel activity continuing.
As highlighted last month, rising insurance costs and the withdrawal of Liberty Mutual insurance from the “Irish hunting insurance sector” are seen as posing a major threat to the future of foxhunts around Ireland.
The Irish Field reported that a growing number of personal injury claims against hunts and the associated settlement costs and legal fees “has pushed the only liability insurer to withdraw from the Irish market”. It revealed that Liberty Mutual has informed brokers that it won’t be renewing existing policies.
Reacting to the development, John D Lyons of Goggin Insurances, Balbriggan (“who has hunted for over 40 years”) commented in the 23 July 2021 report that “the hunting community could put an end to the sport they love if this trend continues” and that “the biggest threat to hunting is not the Green Party or anti-hunt saboteurs but hunting people themselves”.
It’s not only the hunt clubs that hunt members are suing; they are also suing the landowners who foolishly allow them access to their land.
Reference was made to a case of a hunter who fell off a horse during a hunt, broke a bone in his foot and later initiated a €70,000 personal injury claim against the owner of the land on which the injury occurred. A stark warning to landowners who are contemplating allowing hunts on to their property.
A follow-up report in the Irish Field of 10 September 2021 described hunting as "a high-risk sport, which involves the potential of serious bodily injury including disability, paralysis and even death".
John D Lyons of Goggin Insurances was quoted as saying: “We spend a minimum of six weeks getting our hunters fit, but many of us are overweight, unfit and unable to cross country safely. It’s our responsibility to ensure we are properly mounted, physically fit before heading out for four or five hours jumping ditches, stone walls, wire and gates. A couple of whiskeys at the meet is not the ideal preparation for the dangers that lie ahead.”
ACTION ALERT
Keep hunters off your land. For more information, visit
http://www.banbloodsports.com/farmers.htm
A RED C opinion poll, commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, shows that a 77% majority agree that the government should ban foxhunting. The poll found that just 12 per cent disagree with a ban on foxhunting. Tell politicians to respect the wishes of the majority and ban foxhunting.
Contact the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, the Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour Party to tell them that you want fox hunting and all bloodsports banned.
Micheál Martin
Leader, Fianna Fail
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
Leo Varadkar
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: +353 (0)1-704 3630 OR +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Eamon Ryan
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
Email: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EamonRyanGP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EamonRyan
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
Alan Kelly TD
Leader, Labour Party
Tel: 067 34190
Email: alan.kelly@oir.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alankellytd/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alankellylabour
Contact all your local TDs and urge them to push for a ban on foxhunting and all bloodsports. Visit the Oireachtas website for names of TDs and their email addresses http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=33&disp=mem
Sign and share our "Ban Blood Sports in Ireland" petition
https://www.change.org/petitions/ban-blood-sports-in-ireland
SEE ALSO
Fox hunting faces “very uncertain and challenging future” in Ireland https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2021/01/04/fox-hunting-faces-very-uncertain-and-challenging-future-in-ireland/
Insurance claims cause major threat to hunting community
https://www.theirishfield.ie/horse-sense-insurance-claims-cause-major-threat-to-hunting-community-636541/
Why is it hard for hunts to get insurance cover?
https://www.theirishfield.ie/hunting-why-is-it-hard-for-hunts-to-get-insurance-cover-646491/
Witness the cruelty of foxhunting
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy89bk_why-foxhunting-must-be-banned-in-ireland_animals
http://www.banbloodsports.com/videos.htm
https://youtu.be/cbLKs9pgQno