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Taoiseach Simon Harris has claimed “I take animal welfare extraordinarily seriously”. He is the leader of a government which has allowed some of Ireland's worst acts of animal cruelty to continue, including fox hunting, hare coursing, etc. Will Deputy Harris "avail of upcoming opportunities to demonstrate his sincerity on this issue". Read John Fitzgerald's letter to the editor and please scroll down for action alert...
The Taoiseach's "extraordinary concern" for animals
Letter, The Avondhu: July 25th 2024
Dear Editor,
Responding to a Dail Question on ill-treatment of animals recently, the Taoiseach declared: “I take animal welfare extraordinarily seriously.”
While this assertion is to be welcomed, I wonder if the Taoiseach will avail of upcoming opportunities to demonstrate his sincerity on this issue.
A government department will shortly decide whether to grant another licence permitting the capture of hares for coursing. If the licence is issued, thousands of hares will be snatched from their grassy abodes to have dogs set on them. Hardly a practice consistent with the upholding of animal welfare standards, especially given that it’s a criminal offence in the rest of Europe apart from Iberia.
Mr Harris can show compassion for animals by intervening to prevent this five-month assault on the Irish Hare, one of our few truly native wild species that has been in decline for the last five decades.
Another chance to help the animals will come with the drafting of Budget 25. In the wake of damning undercover TV reports on the greyhound industry and the ill-treatment of horses in the bloodstock industry he might care to advise against another State handout to these industries.
In Budget 24, horseracing was allocated €76m and the greyhound industry €19m. This despite evidence of widespread animal cruelty, including the annual disappearance of thousands of dogs and the killing or abandonment of unwanted or underperforming greyhounds, and longstanding concerns, given substance by the recent RTE Investigates programme, that horses were being cruelly abused in the State’s only functioning abattoir. If the Taoiseach cannot have these activities banned, he could at least help to stop funding them at the taxpayer’s expense.
He might even feast his animal-loving eyes on the spectre of fox-cub hunting, though he might find it difficult to get near a “cubbing” session since these dress rehearsals for hunting are held away from public view. The fox cubs are flushed out of their coverts and ripped to pieces by the novice hounds to prepare them for the winter Tally-ho season.
How can one who takes animal welfare seriously fail to be concerned about these cruel practices?
Politics has often been likened to a blood sport, but it’s nothing compared to the real thing. No politician is flogged, beaten with sticks, doped or forced to run from salivating dogs.
But the Taoiseach and his cabinet colleagues do have the power to ease the suffering of our four-legged friends.
I’d like to think that Simon Harris might be the first Taoiseach to strike a decisive blow for those who have no voice, no protection, and no vote.
Thanking you,
John Fitzgerald,
Callan, Co. Kilkenny
ACTION ALERT
Contact Simon Harris TD and urge him to ban hare coursing and fox hunting and defund greyhound racing and horse racing.
Taoiseach Simon Harris TD
Telephone: +353 (0)1 618 3805 or +353 (0)1 889 2442
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris
Watch "RTE Investigates: Horses - Making a Killing"
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ymm0xh3gp7o
Watch “RTE Investigates: Greyhounds Running For Their Lives”
https://youtu.be/ZYTb2qBjlMM