No mention of ending bloodsports in new Animal Welfare Strategy

The “Animal Welfare Strategy 2026-2030” launched by the Minister for Agriculture makes no mention of ending some of the country’s worst cruelty.

The report published by pro-bloodsports Minister, Martin Heydon, “sets out a comprehensive framework for advancing animal welfare in Ireland” but will do nothing to stop cruel fox hunting, terrierwork, hare coursing or greyhound racing - activities which cause obscene suffering and death.

Read the strategy report at
https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/7665a743/Animal_Welfare_Strategy_2026_-_2030.pdf

Minister Heydon says the strategy “seeks to enhance Ireland’s international reputation”. This at a time when the world watches as Irish foxes are chased to exhaustion and ripped apart by packs of dogs, “protected” hares are snatched from the wild and used as live bait for dogs and thousands of greyhounds are killed every year because they are not fast enough.

In a submission to Minister Heydon’s Department in January, the Irish Council Against Blood Sports noted that the aim of the strategy is “to improve animal welfare in Ireland over the coming years” and stressed that “if the Department is truly committed to achieving this, it must support a complete ban on Ireland’s worst acts of cruelty to animals, namely fox hunting, hare coursing, mink hunting, etc”.

We also called for a ban on greyhound racing and associated cruelties such as surgical artificial insemination, a ban on snares, Larsen traps and ladder traps, an end to the snaring of “protected” badgers, a cessation of funding to horse and greyhound racing, a ban on wind surgeries on horses, etc.

The Department was urged to increase penalties and establish an animal crime unit and a national register of offenders.

None of these have been addressed in the 2026-2030 strategy.

The stated vision of the strategy is to make Ireland “a country where all animals are treated with respect and kindness, protected from harm, and allowed to live in an environment where they can thrive”. 

What about the foxes, hares, greyhounds, horses and other animals subjected to cruelty?

The strategy presents a definition of animal welfare which covers the physical and mental wellbeing of an animal and states that “an animal experiences good welfare if the animal is healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, is not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear and distress.”

In the past year, Minister Heydon and his colleagues in government shamefully voted against proposed bans on fox hunting and hare coursing, activities which cause animals to suffer pain, fear and distress.

Minister Heydon’s strategy report  goes on to state that the ambition is to “further advance Ireland’s journey in building a society where animals are treated with respect and kindness” and that “promoting high standards of welfare for animals means making a proactive commitment to protect animals from unnecessary suffering, treating them with respect and providing an environment where they can thrive”. 

Completely empty statements as long as activities such as fox hunting, hare coursing and greyhound racing are allowed to continue in Ireland.

SEE ALSO
Martin Heydon and Animal Cruelty Issues
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2024/12/04/kildare-south-tds-and-animal-cruelty-issues-3/