Department of Agriculture refusing to release coursers' outrageous ‘economic report’
The Department of Agriculture is refusing to provide a copy of an "economic report" which laughably claims that cruel hare coursing is worth over €70 million to the Irish economy every year.
In July, following a Dail debate on the Animal Health & Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill, during which Niall Collins TD - a pro-bloodsports Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture - made reference to the report, Paul Murphy TD challenged the claim.
“Niall Collins referenced a 2022 independent economic analysis which apparently suggested a benefit from coursing of €70.7 million annually to the Irish economy,” Deputy Murphy (People Before Profit - Solidarity) stated in the Dail.
Responding, Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon did not address the farcical €70.7 million claim.
“Minister of State Niall Collins outlined the Government's position very clearly in the debate last Thursday evening - the Government will be opposing Deputy Murphy's Bill,” he said.
In a subsequent post on Facebook, Paul Murphy TD commented: “To defend the indefensible of hare coursing, a fake study with 'figures' are made up about how 'beneficial' it is to the economy...even if the figures were real, it wouldn't justify this cruel practice. Will the government correct the Dáil record? Or allow this made up nonsense to sit as 'fact'? It's clear the pressure that TDs are under. If there was a free vote, would TDs vote with their conscience to ban this colonial hangover?” https://www.facebook.com/reel/1044798718127941
He referred to the "very elusive report" as being "shyer than the hare itself.”
Niall Collins TD refused to share a copy of the report he had quoted from in the Dail.
When contacted by The Journal, Collins "said he has seen and read the report himself but that it is not his to release". The Irish Coursing Club also refused to provide a copy when contacted by The Journal, saying that the 4-year-old report "first had to be presented to members".
Paul Murphy TD said it was “troubling” that a Fianna Fáil junior minister “relied on a figure from a report that hasn’t been produced, that cannot be analysed, that cannot be scrutinised”.
“[The report] was supposed to be done in 2022 but literally was not mentioned anywhere until last week. There were parliamentary questions asked in 2025 and this report was never mentioned,” he said.
When questioned, Taoiseach Micheál Martin admitted that he hadn't set eyes on it.
“It’s all a bit mysterious, Taoiseach, wouldn’t you agree?" Deputy Murphy said to him. “Have you seen this report? Do you agree that this report, if it exists at all, needs to be published?”
“I haven’t seen the report,” Micheál Martin responded. “And I, to be frank with you, eh, having been assessed, I, I don’t, the provenance of the report is not something that I have knowledge of, in terms, but I…It’s not surprising that people would have done studies on this and would have done analysis.”
Last month, Paul Murphy went on to request a copy of the report via a Freedom of Information request to the Department of Agriculture.
The Department is refusing to hand over a copy of the document ("The Economic And Financial Contribution Of The Coursing Sector"), citing Section 35. (1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2014: ""a head shall refuse to grant an FOI request if (a) the record concerned contains information given to an FOI body, in confidence and on the understanding that it would be treated by it as confidential...and, in the opinion of the head, its disclosure would be likely to prejudice the giving to the body of further similar information from the same person or other persons..."
There was no mention of confidentiality in the Department of Agriculture's request ("could you forward a copy of the report for our information please") or in the Irish Coursing Club's response ("I attach Jim Power report for reference purposes").
On 16 June 2026, a few weeks before Niall Collins TD's outrageous pro-coursing Dail speech - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QE6Wt_i644&t=929s - the Department of Agriculture invited the Irish Coursing Club to provide information.
Margaret Tully (Higher Executive Officer, Horse & Greyhound Racing, Department of Agriculture) wrote to the CEO of the Irish Coursing Club to say: "Hi DJ, The below bill has been selected under Lottery PMB [Private Member's Bill] for debate on 2nd July - Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020. We are preparing briefing for the Minister of State, (due to Presidency commitments, the Minister [Martin Heydon] will be unavailable) and would welcome any comments the Irish Coursing Club may have on this issue."
Two days later, she sent a follow-up email: "Hi DJ, Just a gentle reminder regarding my email below, we are under pressure to get the briefing up the line to the Secretary General’s office. If the Irish Coursing Club would like to make any comments I would be very grateful if you could get back to me this morning please."
Among the documents furnished was one entitled "The Importance Of Regulated Coursing". In that is a section headed "Economic Contribution" which states: "In 2022, Jim Power Economics reported on the economic and financial contribution of the coursing sector. It estimated that coursing activities contribute a total of €70.7 million annually to the Irish economy, with most of this money directly benefiting rural areas. The lifecycle of the coursing greyhound alone generates €37.9 million, while the remaining €32.8 million comes from coursing-related activities."
It is immediately clear from this that the €70.7 million figure is bogus. It is presented as an "annual" contribution to the economy despite the coursers admitting that more than half of it - €37.9 million - relates to the "lifecycle of the coursing greyhound" (i.e. an amount understood to cover all the years the greyhounds are allowed to remain alive).
These ridiculous figures, like similar figures presented by Greyhound Racing Ireland, are believed to be hugely inflated. It is not surprising that there is a determination to keep them hidden from scrutiny.
In any case, as Paul Murphy TD emphasised, "even if the figures were real, it wouldn't justify this cruel practice".
TAKE ACTION
Contact Ministers James Browne and Christopher O'Sullivan and appeal to them to show compassion for the persecuted Irish Hare and withdraw the 2026-27 hare coursing licences.
Minister James Browne (Fianna Fail, Wexford)
Tel: (01) 618 3094
Email: minister@housing.gov.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/james.browne.enniscorthy
X: https://x.com/jamesbrownetd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbrownetd/?hl=en
Christopher O’Sullivan TD (Fianna Fail, Cork South West)
Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity
Tel: (01) 618 3095 or 023 88 11011
Email: christopher.osullivan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christopher.osullivan.716
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christopher_o_sullivan_td
X: https://twitter.com/COSullivanTD
SAMPLE LETTER
(If you have time, please compose your own personal letter. Otherwise, feel free to send the sample letter below)
Dear Ministers Browne and O’Sullivan,
I am writing to ask you to please WITHDRAW the licences you granted for another season of cruel hare coursing.
The licences allow coursers to net thousands of hares from the wild, transport them in boxes to coursing compounds, manhandle them, hold them in captivity for weeks/months and eventually force them to run for their lives in front of greyhounds.
All the hares suffer fear and stress and, despite the muzzling of the dogs, hares are injured and killed every coursing season when they are caught and mauled. Among the injuries documented are, broken back, spinal injury, detached/broken legs, damaged toes and dislocated hips.
Hares suffer at all stages – during capture, while held captive and at the coursing meetings where they can be seen desperately running as a merciless mob cheer the greyhounds on and gamble on which dog will be first to force the hare to change direction. Coursing compromises the welfare of hares and those who survive the ordeal remain at risk of dying from stress-related capture myopathy in the days and weeks after they are released back to the wild.
With the suffering, stress, injury and death caused to hares at coursing meetings, there should be no hesitation in finally ending this shameful activity. This would be widely welcomed by the 77% majority of Irish citizens who want coursing banned (just 9% disagree with a ban. Source: RED C poll).
Ireland is in the middle of a biodiversity crisis and it’s time for the iconic Irish Hare to be given full protection and allowed to live free from persecution. Please withdraw the licences as a step towards a long overdue ban on coursing.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
[Name/Address]
Please get in touch with all your local TDs and urge them to pledge support for a long overdue ban on cruel hare coursing in Ireland. Visit the Oireachtas website for contact details https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/34
Contact the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein. Tell them that you want hare coursing, fox hunting and all bloodsports banned.
Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Tel: 01 619 4000
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
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
X: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
Watch our campaign videos
The suffering of hares during 2025-26 coursing season
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jN3OMM7_UY
Bill to ban hare coursing shamefully rejected - 24 in favour, 125 against
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMSh_T5l6i0
SEE ALSO
Animal life issues are a different kettle of blood sport: Read Miriam Lord's excellent column in the Irish Times
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1338273295111936&set=a.603523135253626
The bill to ban cruel hare coursing - how parties voted
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1339289181677014&set=a.603523135253626
Taoiseach Micheal Martin (Fianna Fail) has shamefully defended cruel hare coursing as tightly regulated and supervised https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=903218315895737