Sinn Fein is refusing to back a ban on a cruel bloodsport that brings international shame on Ireland. In a statement issued this week, the party has stated that it will NOT be supporting a ban on hare coursing. The statement from Sinn Fein Party Whip, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD (who in the past has himself called for "legislation banning all blood sports including hare coursing and fox hunting") states: "Unfortunately we are unable to support your Bill which sets out to amend the Wildlife Act by proposing to ban hare coursing because it is not compatible with Sinn Féin policy which was dealt with by the motion below when it was passed at our party's Árd Fheis in 2010 after a passionate debate where strong opinions were expressed on both sides of the argument for and against hare coursing." "The motion reads: Without prejudice to the party’s continued position of opposition to cruel farming and animal harvesting practices, unnecessary and cruel animal testing, and the infliction of cruelty to animals – especially for the purposes of entertainment – this Ard Fheis: • Acknowledges the support in rural Ireland for traditional rural occupations including hunting, fishing, and hare coursing. • Acknowledges the value that these pursuits bring to local rural economies, and the potential economic damage posed by an outright ban. • Believes that hunting and fishing should continue to be regulated in the interests of sustainable wildlife management. • Believes that Irish hare coursing practices should be regulated to ensure sustainable wildlife management and to minimise unnecessary suffering to the animals involved. • Believes that the banning of hare coursing would drive it underground and remove current regulations, which are essential to protect the animals involved. Therefore we oppose such an outright ban. • Affirms that it continues to oppose ‘bloodsports’, by which it means dog fighting, badger baiting, cock fighting and bull fighting." URGENT ACTION ALERT Urge Sinn Fein to back a ban on hare coursing in line with the majority view amongst Irish citizens that this cruel practice is unacceptable and must be outlawed. Email Sinn Fein TDs: admin@sinnfein.ie,kathleen.funchion@oireachtas.ie,ocaolain@oireachtas.ie,Jonathan.O'Brien@oireachtas.ie,Pearse.Doherty@oireachtas.ie,MaryLou.McDonald@oireachtas.ie,dessie.ellis@oir.ie,aengus.osnodaigh@oireachtas.ie,Sean.Crowe@oireachtas.ie,martin.ferris@oireachtas.ie,Brian.Stanley@oireachtas.ie,maurice.quinlivan@oireachtas.ie,gerry.adams@oireachtas.ie,imelda.munster@oireachtas.ie,Peadar.Toibin@oireachtas.ie,carol.nolan@oireachtas.ie,martinkennysf@gmail.com,david.cullinane@oireachtas.ie,johnbradysf@gmail.com,pat.buckley@oireachtas.ie,donnchadh.olaoghaire@oireachtas.ie,denise.mitchell@oireachtas.ie,louiseoreillysf@gmail.com,eoin.obroin@oireachtas.ie Tel: +353 (0)1 8726 100 / +353 (0)1 872 6932 Tweet: @sinnfeinireland Sinn Fein - Back a ban on Ireland's cruel hare coursing Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sinnfein SAMPLE LETTER (If you have time, please compose your own personal letter) Dear Sinn Fein, I am one of the majority who wants Ireland's cruel hare coursing banned. I urge Sinn Fein to support Maureen O'Sullivan TD's upcoming Bill to ban this bloodsport. Yours sincerely, [Name/Location] Send a message to all Irish TDs (Members of Parliament), urging them to vote in favour of Maureen O'Sullivan's Animal Protection (In Relation to Hares) Bill 2015. TD EMAIL ADDRESSES - LIST 1 gerry.adams@oireachtas.ie, bobby.aylward@oireachtas.ie, maria.bailey@oireachtas.ie, sean.barrett@oireachtas.ie,mick.barry@oireachtas.ie, richard.boydbarrett@oireachtas.ie, john.brassil@oireachtas.ie,declan.breathnach@oireachtas.ie, pat.breen@oireachtas.ie, colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie, tommy.broughan@oireachtas.ie,james.browne@oireachtas.ie, richard.bruton@oireachtas.ie, pat.buckley@oireachtas.ie, peter.burke@oireachtas.ie, joan.burton@oireachtas.ie, mary.butler@oireachtas.ie, catherine.byrne@oireachtas.ie, thomas.byrne@oireachtas.ie, jackie.cahill@oireachtas.ie, dara.calleary@oireachtas.ie, sean.canney@oireachtas.ie, ciaran.cannon@oireachtas.ie, joe.carey@oireachtas.ie, pat.casey@oireachtas.ie, shane.cassells@oireachtas.ie, lisa.chambers@oireachtas.ie, jack.chambers@outlook.com, michael.collins@oireachtas.ie, niall.collins@oireachtas.ie, joan.collins@oireachtas.ie, catherine.connolly@oireachtas.ie, ruth.coppinger@oireachtas.ie, marcella.corcorankennedy@oireachtas.ie, simon.coveney@oireachtas.ie, barry.cowen@oireachtas.ie, michael.creed@oireachtas.ie TD EMAIL ADDRESSES - LIST 2 sean.crowe@oireachtas.ie, david.cullinane@oireachtas.ie, john.curran@oireachtas.ie, clare.daly@oireachtas.ie, jim.daly@oireachtas.ie, michael.darcy@oireachtas.ie, john.deasy@oireachtas.ie, pat.deering@oireachtas.ie, pearse.doherty@oireachtas.ie, regina.doherty@oireachtas.ie, stephen.donnelly@oireachtas.ie, paschal.donohoe@oireachtas.ie, timmy.dooley@oireachtas.ie,andrew.doyle@oireachtas.ie, bernard.durkan@oireachtas.ie, dessie.ellis@oireachtas.ie, damien.english@oireachtas.ie, alan.farrell@oireachtas.ie, frances.fitzgerald@oireachtas.ie, michael.fitzmaurice@oireachtas.ie, peterm.fitzpatrick@oireachtas.ie, charles.flanagan@oireachtas.ie, sean.fleming@oireachtas.ie, kathleen.funchion@oireachtas.ie, patthecope.gallagher@oireachtas.ie, noel.grealish@oireachtas.ie, brendan.griffin@oireachtas.ie, john.halligan@oireachtas.ie, simon.harris@oireachtas.ie, michael.harty@oireachtas.ie, sean.haughey@oireachtas.ie, seamus.healy@oireachtas.ie, danny.healy-rae@oireachtas.ie, michael.healy-rae@oireachtas.ie, martin.heydon@oireachtas.ie, brendan.howlin@oireachtas.ie, heather.humphreys@oireachtas.ie, paul.kehoe@oireachtas.ie, billy.kelleher@oireachtas.ie, alan.kelly@oireachtas.ie, enda.kenny@oireachtas.ie, martinkennysf@gmail.com, gino.kenny@oireachtas.ie TD EMAIL ADDRESSES - LIST 3 sean.kyne@oireachtas.ie, john.lahart@oireachtas.ie, james.lawless@oireachtas.ie, michael.lowry@oireachtas.ie, marc.macsharry@oireachtas.ie, josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie, catherine.martin@oireachtas.ie, micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie, charlie.mcconalogue@oireachtas.ie, marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie, helen.mcentee@oireachtas.ie, michael.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie,finian.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie, john.mcguinness@oireachtas.ie, joe.mchugh@oireachtas.ie, tony.mcloughlin@oireachtas.ie, denise.mitchell@oireachtas.ie, mary.mitchelloconnor@oireachtas.ie, kevin.moran@oireachtas.ie, aindrias.moynihan@oireachtas.ie, michael.moynihan@oireachtas.ie, imelda.munster@oireachtas.ie, eugene.murphy@oireachtas.ie, paul.murphy@oireachtas.ie, eoghan.murphy@oireachtas.ie, dara.murphy@oireachtas.ie, catherine.murphy@oireachtas.ie, margaret.murphyomahony@oireachtas.ie, Denis.Naughten@oireachtas.ie, hildegarde.naughton@oireachtas.ie, tom.neville@oireachtas.ie, carol.nolan@oireachtas.ie, michael.noonan@oireachtas.ie, eoin.obroin@oireachtas.ie, caoimhghin.ocaolain@oireachtas.ie, eamon.ocuiv@oireachtas.ie, sean.ofearghail@oireachtas.ie, donnchadh.olaoghaire@oireachtas.ie, aengus.osnodaigh@oireachtas.ie, darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie, jonathan.obrien@oireachtas.ie, jim.ocallaghan@oireachtas.ie TD EMAIL ADDRESSES - LIST 4 kate.oconnell@oireachtas.ie, willie.odea@oireachtas.ie, patrick.odonovan@oireachtas.ie, fergus.odowd@oireachtas.ie, kevin.okeeffe@oireachtas.ie, fiona.oloughlin@oireachtas.ie, louise.oreilly@oireachtas.ie, frank.orourke@oireachtas.ie, jan.osullivan@oireachtas.ie, maureen.osullivan@oireachtas.ie, willie.penrose@oireachtas.ie, johnpaul.phelan@oireachtas.ie, thomas.pringle@oireachtas.ie, maurice.quinlivan@oireachtas.ie, anne.rabbitte@oireachtas.ie, michael.ring@oireachtas.ie, noel@noelrock.ie, shane.ross@oireachtas.ie, eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie, brendan.ryan@oireachtas.ie, escanlonmcc@eircom.net, sean.sherlock@oireachtas.ie, roisin.shortall@oireachtas.ie, brendan.smith@oireachtas.ie, brid.smith@oireachtas.ie, niamh.smyth@oireachtas.ie, brian.stanley@oireachtas.ie, david.stanton@oireachtas.ie, peadar.toibin@oireachtas.ie, robert.troy@oireachtas.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie, mick.wallace@oireachtas.ie, katherine.zappone@oireachtas.ie