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Ireland is the 13th worst place in the world for nature, where the government licenses the capture of hares for cruel coursing – Read John Fitzgerald's Letter to the Editor in the Mail on Sunday and please scroll down for action alert...
Spare the hare
Letter to the Editor, Mail on Sunday
18 June 2023
It comes as no surprise to me that Ireland is deemed the 13th worst place in the world for nature, with almost every habitat and species either severely threatened or in terminal decline.
As someone who's campaigned for decades against the recreational killing or tormenting of wildlife, I wouldn't expect any assessment of our biodiversity status to be anything less than damning.
For decades, even as successive governments paid lip service to our species-rich habitats, they were licensing the capture of hares for coursing and sending good wishes to hunts that hounded animals to death.
A few weeks from now, the government will be asked to renew the licence for hare coursing – which, according to a RED C poll, is opposed by 77 per cent of the population - and will likely sign off on it as in previous years.
If our leaders allow this to happen to the very symbol of our wildlife heritage, what are the chances they will care very much about any of our other species facing decline or wipeout?
If the government were serious about saving what's left of our wildlife, it wouldn't allow whole swathes of the emerald isle to be turned into killing grounds.
John Fitzgerald
Callan, County Kilkenny.
URGENT ACTION ALERT
HELP THE HARES: Urgently contact Heritage Minister Darragh O’Brien and Minister of State Malcolm Noonan. Email "Please refuse a 2023-24 licence for cruel hare coursing" to:
minister@housing.gov.ie; mos@housing.gov.ie
Minister Darragh O’Brien (Fianna Fail, Dublin Fingal)
Tel: (01) 618 3802 OR (086) 251 9893
Email: minister@housing.gov.ie; darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie
Malcolm Noonan TD (Green Party, Carlow Kilkenny)
Minister of State for Heritage
Tel: (01) 618 3148 OR (01) 618 3156
Email: mos@housing.gov.ie; malcolm.noonan@oireachtas.ie
With a RED C opinion poll confirming that a 77 per cent majority of citizens want hare coursing banned (with just 9% disagreeing with a ban), it is now time for politicians to consign this nasty bloodsport to history. Join us in contacting all TDs and urging them to act to ensure that a ban is urgently introduced. Visit the Oireachtas website for contact details for TDs https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/33
Tell the leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party to respect the wishes of the majority and ban hare coursing and all bloodsports.
Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 3000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michealmartintd/
Leo Varadkar TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01-619 4020
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leovaradkar/
Eamon Ryan TD
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
Email: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EamonRyanGP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EamonRyan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eamondryan/
Please sign and share the petition
Sinn Fein: Support a ban on cruel hare coursing
https://www.change.org/p/sinn-fein-support-a-ban-on-cruel-hare-coursing
Please support our campaign with a donation
https://www.paypal.me/banbloodsports
Find us on Twitter and Instagram
https://twitter.com/banbloodsports
https://www.instagram.com/banbloodsports/
Witness the cruelty of hare coursing in Ireland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkr014Y0KR0