Is fox earth blocking an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare Act?
Paul Murphy TD has asked the Minister for Agriculture if the cruel practice of blocking earths during fox hunts is a breach of animal welfare legislation.
Fox earths are blocked before hunts to prevent pursued foxes from escaping underground. Foxes are therefore forced to run for longer and so prolong the chase for hunters.
In a 28 July 2026 Dail Question, Deputy Murphy asked Minister Martin Heydon “if the blocking of fox earths, an integral part of fox hunting is an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, given that such blocking can result in foxes being buried alive and/or prevent vixens from reaching their cubs leading to the starvation and death of the cubs”.
Minister Heydon did not confirm or deny that earth blocking constitutes a breach of the act, and instead stated: “On the general matter of hunting, a detailed debate was held during the passage of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 and the Dáil decided to allow the continuation of fox hunting in accordance with an appropriate code of conduct. On 28th May 2025, a Private Members Bill to ban fox hunting was introduced. It proceeded to a second stage reading on 17th December 2025, where it was opposed.”
“Section 25 of the Animal Health & Welfare Act 2013 allows for the establishment of codes of practice and for the adoption of codes published by other persons for the purposes of providing practical guidance relating to any aspect of the Act, including fox hunting,” Minister Heydon continued. “Voluntary codes of practice have been established by the Hunting Association of Ireland which detail the conduct to be adhered to in respect of the hunting of foxes and the treatment of the animal during the hunt.”
The worthless and voluntary “codes of practice” allow for the continuation of all of fox hunting’s inherent cruelty, including earth blocking and the digging out of foxes who try to escape underground.
The “Rules And Procedures Of The Irish Hunting Association” state that “earth stopping shall be allowed...to assist in the finding of foxes above ground...”
If a fox does manage to find refuge below ground, the hunt's terriermen are called in - they send terriers down the hole in the ground to attack and corner the fox. The earth is then dug away from above and the fox is brutally killed.
The foxhunters' so-called code of practice states that "only one terrier at a time may be used to locate the fox except in rocks, stacks of bales or stick piles, etc...Digging shall only be conducted by a small number of experienced people and assistants appointed by the Master or his nominee." It also highlights their desire to keep this appalling act away from the public eye, stressing that "reasonable efforts shall be made to ensure that digging out will not become a public spectacle."
Watch our campaign video
Ireland's Foxhunting Cruelty: Earth Blocking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIj72t-RLGI
TAKE ACTION
Contact the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein. Tell them to back a ban on cruel fox hunting.
Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Tel: 01 619 4000
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
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Simon Harris TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01 281 3727
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
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Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
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X: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
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