Fianna Fáil's Spokesperson on Media, Culture and Sport, Padraig O'Sullivan TD has said that he is "not in favour of fox hunting". Deputy O'Sullivan made the comment on RTE Radio 1's Late Debate show (3 June 2025) during a discussion about animal rights issues.
This follows a similar statement in 2014 in which he told the Irish Council Against Blood Sports: “Personally I’m not in favour of blood sports.”
Programme presenter Colm Ó Mongáin asked Deputy O'Sullivan “if you can see Ruth Coppinger’s [Animal Health & Welfare (Ban On Fox Hunting) Bill] making it further with the support of people on the government side or do you know at this stage what the stance of government parties will be with regard to progressing this legislation?”
He responded: “To answer the question honestly, we actually don’t know what the situation is...Allowing the bill to proceed to second stage and have a debate on the floor of the Dail was the easy and right thing to do.”
Asked if he is personally in favour of Ruth Coppinger’s proposal to ban fox hunting, he stated: “I’ve given comment previously about my own personal opinion on this issue. I have said that I am personally not in favour of fox hunting. I don’t see how people would take gratification in it. It’s not a form of entertainment for me. I don’t like the way it is often framed as a rural-urban debate. People, unfortunately, were brought up with those types of pastimes in certain areas. They choose to do it but for me, it’s not something that I would get any gratification from.”
Also speaking on the programme was Ruth Coppinger TD (People Before Profit-Solidarity) who introduced her bill to the Dail on 27 May. “There’s needs to be a free vote on this and that’s something I’m calling for,” she told listeners. “They’ve done it before...I think TDs in a lot of parties, including Sinn Féin, are extremely unhappy about being forced to vote for something like this which they don’t believe in.”
Listen to the Late Debate segment at
https://www.rte.ie/radio/podcasts/22517778-a-bill-to-ban-fox-hunting-whats-in-it-and-whos/
Listen to other segments of the show dealing with puppy farming, badger culling and horse and dog welfare
https://www.rte.ie/radio/podcasts/series/1589-the-late-debate/
ACTION ALERT
Join us in telling Fianna Fáil to respect the wishes of the majority and vote in favour of Ruth Coppinger TD's Animal Health & Welfare (Ban On Fox Hunting) Bill when it returns to Dáil Éireann.
Contact Fianna Fail leader and Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and urge him to act to ensure that the party supports Deputy Coppinger’s bill. This would be in line with Irish public opinion - a RED C poll found that 77% are in favour of a ban on fox hunting, with just 12% disagreeing with a ban.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Tel: 01 619 4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Contact TDs and urge them to support Deputy Coppinger's Animal Health & Welfare (Ban On Fox Hunting) Bill when it returns to Dail Eireann.
Visit the Oireachtas website for email addresses and phone numbers for TDs https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/34
Email all Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein TDs now:
*** Fianna Fail
john.mcguinness@oireachtas.ie; brendan.smith@oireachtas.ie; niamh.smyth@oireachtas.ie; michael.moynihan@oireachtas.ie; aindrias.moynihan@oireachtas.ie; Charlie.McConalogue@oireachtas.ie; jim.ocallaghan@oireachtas.ie; darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie; jack.chambers@oireachtas.ie; james.lawless@oireachtas.ie; sean.ofearghail@oireachtas.ie; sean.fleming@oireachtas.ie; willie.odea@oireachtas.ie; niall.collins@oireachtas.ie; Robert.Troy@oireachtas.ie; dara.calleary@oireachtas.ie; thomas.byrne@oireachtas.ie; mary.butler@oireachtas.ie; minister@housing.gov.ie; peterchap.cleere@oireachtas.ie; jennifer.murnaneoconnor@oireachtas.ie; cathal.crowe@oireachtas.ie; timmy.dooley@oireachtas.ie; james.oconnor@oireachtas.ie; padraig.osullivan@oireachtas.ie; micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; seamus.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie; christopher.osullivan@oireachtas.ie; patthecope.gallagher@oireachtas.ie; tom.brabazon@oireachtas.ie; shane.moynihan@oireachtas.ie; paul.mcauliffe@oireachtas.ie; shay.brennan@oireachtas.ie; catherine.ardagh@oireachtas.ie; john.lahart@oireachtas.ie; cormac@cormacdevlin.ie; albert.dolan@oireachtas.ie; john.connolly@oireachtas.ie; michael.cahill@oireachtas.ie; norma.foley@oireachtas.ie; naoise.ocearuil@oireachtas.ie; erin.mcgreehan@oireachtas.ie; aisling.dempsey@oireachtas.ie; tony.mccormack@oireachtas.ie; martin.daly@oireachtas.ie; eamon.scanlon@oireachtas.ie; ryan.omeara@oireachtas.ie; malcolm.byrne@oireachtas.ie
*** Fine Gael
catherine.callaghan@oireachtas.ie; david.maxwell@oireachtas.ie; joe.cooney@oireachtas.ie; noel.mccarthy@oireachtas.ie; colm.burke@oireachtas.ie; johnpaul.oshea@oireachtas.ie; jerry.buttimer@oireachtas.ie; naoise.omuiri@oireachtas.ie; james.geoghegan@oireachtas.ie; Paschal.Donohoe@oireachtas.ie; grace.boland@oireachtas.ie; emer.higgins@oireachtas.ie; maeve.oconnell@oireachtas.ie; neale.richmond@oireachtas.ie; colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie; emer.currie@oireachtas.ie; jennifer.carrollmacneill@oireachtas.ie; barry.ward@oireachtas.ie; peter.roche@oireachtas.ie; hildegarde.naughton@oireachtas.ie; joe.neville@oireachtas.ie; Martin.Heydon@oireachtas.ie; william.aird@oireachtas.ie; kieran.odonnell@oireachtas.ie; Patrick.O'Donovan@oireachtas.ie; peter.burke@oireachtas.ie; micheal.carrigy@oireachtas.ie; paula.butterly@oireachtas.ie; alan.dillon@oireachtas.ie; keira.keogh@oireachtas.ie; helen.mcentee@oireachtas.ie; john.clendennen@oireachtas.ie; frank.feighan@oireachtas.ie; michael.murphy@oireachtas.ie; john.cummins@oireachtas.ie; Simon.Harris@oireachtas.ie; edward.timmins@oireachtas.ie; brian.brennan@oireachtas.ie
*** Sinn Féin
matt.carthy@oireachtas.ie; pat.buckley@oireachtas.ie; thomas.gould@oireachtas.ie; donnchadh.olaoghaire@oireachtas.ie; Pearse.Doherty@oireachtas.ie; padraig.maclochlainn@oireachtas.ie; denise.mitchell@oireachtas.ie; MaryLou.McDonald@oireachtas.ie; ann.graves@oireachtas.ie; louise.oreilly@oireachtas.ie; eoin.obroin@oireachtas.ie; mark.ward@oireachtas.ie; dessie.ellis@oireachtas.ie; maire.devine@oireachtas.ie; aengus.osnodaigh@oireachtas.ie; Sean.Crowe@oireachtas.ie; paul.donnelly@oireachtas.ie; louis.ohara@oireachtas.ie; mairead.farrell@oireachtas.ie; pa.daly@oireachtas.ie; reada.cronin@oireachtas.ie; shonagh.niraghallaigh@oireachtas.ie; maurice.quinlivan@oireachtas.ie; sorca.clarke@oireachtas.ie; ruairi.omurchu@oireachtas.ie; rose.conwaywalsh@oireachtas.ie; darren.orourke@oireachtas.ie; johnny.guirke@oireachtas.ie; claire.kerrane@oireachtas.ie; martin.kenny@oireachtas.ie; david.cullinane@oireachtas.ie; conor.mcguinness@oireachtas.ie; johnny.mythen@oireachtas.ie; john.brady@oireachtas.ie; fionntan.osuilleabhain@oireachtas.ie; natasha.newsomedrennan@oireachtas.ie; cathy.bennett@oireachtas.ie; donna.mcgettigan@oireachtas.ie; joanna.byrne@oireachtas.ie
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