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A Fine Gael Minister has described as “very legitimate” the points raised by animal welfare campaigners calling for a ban on cruel hare coursing.
Neale Richmond TD – who is Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment – was responding to an appeal from the National Animal Rights Association who urged him to “act on the wishes of the people and support an immediate ban on hare coursing in Ireland”.
“I acknowledge the very legitimate points raised by animal welfare advocates on hare coursing,” Minister Richmond stated in his 2nd August response.
The Dublin Rathdown politician also acknowledged "the public support for protections for hares to be legislated for".
“I am aware of the Private Members Bill proposed by Deputy Paul Murphy, and I will monitor it as it comes before the Oireachtas in the Autumn,” Minister Richmond added.
Paul Murphy TD's Animal Health & Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill was introduced in September 2020 and is expected back before the Dail later this year. Presenting the bill - which is co-signed by TDs Gino Kenny, Mick Barry, Richard Boyd Barrett, Brid Smith, Joan Collins and Catherine Connolly - Deputy Murphy (People Before Profit / Solidarity) condemned coursing as “a cruel, barbaric and outdated practice”.
In 2014, as a Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Councillor, Neale Richmond told the Irish Council Against Blood Sports that he was not in favour of a ban on hare coursing or fox hunting, stating at the time that the cruel activities instead “need to regulated and monitored.”
Since then, a RED C opinion poll confirmed that the a 77% majority of people in Ireland want the government to ban hare coursing and fox hunting. The September 2019 poll showed that just 9% disagree with a ban on coursing and just 12% disagree with a ban on fox hunting. A majority in both rural and urban areas are in favour of a ban.
ACTION ALERT
Contact Minister Richmond and urge him to pledge support for a ban on hare coursing and fox hunting.
Phone: 01-6183690
Email: neale.richmond@oir.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nealerichmond
Tell politicians to respect the wishes of the majority and ban hare coursing and fox hunting.
Contact the leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, the Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour Party.
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
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
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
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
Ivana Bacik TD
Leader, The Labour Party
Tel: (01) 6183136
Email: ivana.bacik@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ivanabacik
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bacikivana/
Contact the Agriculture Minister and demand that exemptions for hare coursing and fox hunting are removed from the Animal Health and Welfare Act.
Charlie McConalogue
Minister for Agriculture
Tel: 01 618 3199 or 01 607 2000
Email: minister@agriculture.gov.ie; charlie.mcconalogue@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CharlieMcConalogue
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@McConalogue
Contact all your local TDs and urge them to push for a ban on hare coursing and fox hunting. 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
Witness the cruelty of hare coursing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dm0mmXYcv8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVIKc2CS4ko
Witness the cruelty of foxhunting
http://www.banbloodsports.com/videos.htm
https://youtu.be/cbLKs9pgQno
Find out more about the National Animal Rights Association
https://www.naracampaigns.org/