In Dail Eireann on 8 July 2026, Paul Murphy TD's Animal Health & Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill was rejected, with 125 TDs (mostly Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Sinn Fein, Independent Ireland and Aontu) shamefully voting against it. Their rejection of the bill means that thousands more hares will be captured from the wild and forced to run for their lives from dogs in a bloodsport that shames Ireland.
Find out more about how parties voted to betray the Irish hare, an icon of our biodiversity.
Aontú - 100% of the party’s TDs voted against a ban (i.e. both of the party’s 2 TDs)
Sinn Fein - 97% of the party’s TDs voted against a ban (38 out of 39 TDs - Sean Crowe TD did not vote)
Fianna Fail - 90% of its TDs voted against a ban (43 TDs out of 48 - 5 TDs did not vote)
Fine Gael - 84% of its TDs voted against a ban (32 TDs out of 38 - 6 TDs did not vote)
Independent Ireland 50% of its TDs voted against a ban (2 out of 4 TDs - 2 did not vote)
[NOTE: "Did not vote" means the TDs from these parties were absent. They would have voted with their party whip if they had been present]
Find out how individual TDs voted
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2026/07/09/bill-to-ban-hare-coursing-shamefully-rejected-24-in-favour-125-against/
ACTION ALERT
Contact the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Sinn Fein and Aontú. Tell them that you want hare coursing, fox hunting and all bloodsports banned in Ireland.
Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Tel: 01 619 4000
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
X: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Simon Harris TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01 281 3727
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
X: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Peadar Tóibín TD (Meath West)
Leader, Aontú
Email: Peadar.Toibin@oireachtas.ie; info@aontu.ie
Tel: (01) 618 3518 / (046) 902 3472
SEE ALSO:
Bill to ban hare coursing shamefully rejected - 24 in favour, 125 against
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BLRVEsGX4/
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2026/07/09/bill-to-ban-hare-coursing-shamefully-rejected-24-in-favour-125-against/
Debate on “Ban on Hare Coursing” Bill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QE6Wt_i644