Previous to its 2013 vote against a ban on fur farming, the Labour Party was fully supportive of a ban on the cruel practice. In 2005, Labour and its current leader, Brendan Howlin, voted in favour of the Fur Farming [Prohibition] Bill. The following year, the party's "21 Point Plan" included the following promise - "The Labour Party will enact a Fur Farming (Prohibition) Bill to ban fur farming of mink, fox and rabbits." Join us today in contacting Brendan Howlin and his colleagues in the Labour Party and urging them to pledge support for Solidarity's upcoming Prohibition of Fur Farming Bill 2018. Email "Please support a ban on Ireland's cruel fur farming" or send the sample letter below to brendan.howlin@oireachtas.ie, joan.burton@oireachtas.ie, alan.kelly@oireachtas.ie, jan.osullivan@oireachtas.ie, willie.penrose@oireachtas.ie, brendan.ryan@oireachtas.ie, sean.sherlock@oireachtas.ie Brendan Howlin TD Tel: (053) 912 4036 (Constituency) or (01) 618 3538 (Dáil) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelabourparty/ Joan Burton TD Tel: (01) 618 4006 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joan-Burton/300073646806 Alan Kelly TD Tel: (0505) 24328 or (01) 618 3229 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alankellylabour Jan O'Sullivan TD Tel: (061) 312 316 or (01) 618 3670 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JanOSullivanLimerick Willie Penrose TD Tel: (044) 93 43987 or (01) 618 3734 Brendan Ryan TD Tel: (01) 618 3421 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Brendan-Ryan-TD-184047904961795/ Sean Sherlock TD Tel: (022) 535 23 or (087) 740 2057 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SeanSherlockTD SAMPLE LETTER Dear Deputy In 2005, the Labour Party voted in favour of a ban on fur farming (Fur Farming [Prohibition] Bill) and in your party's 2006 "21 Point Plan", it was stated: "The Labour Party will enact a Fur Farming (Prohibition) Bill to ban fur farming of mink, fox and rabbits." I am writing to urge you and your party to please revert to this position (after voting against a ban in 2013) and help bring this shameful industry to an end. Around 200,000 mink are permanently caged on Ireland's three remaining fur farms. They pace back and forth and jump against the bars of the cages to try and get free. At six months of age, they are pulled out and thrown into a gassing box where they are poisoned to death - all so that the fur can be ripped from their bones and used in gruesome garments. 10 EU nations have already banned fur farming. It's time for Ireland to join them. Will you help stop the suffering and pledge your support for Solidarity's upcoming Prohibition of Fur Farming Bill 2018? Thank you. I look forward to your positive response. Yours sincerely, [Name/Address] Please make contact with all your TDs to urge them to support the Solidarity bill. Contact details for TDs can be found at https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/32 Also contact the political parties to urge them to back the bill - find contact details at http://www.banbloodsports.com/parties.htm Join us in urging Minister Michael Creed and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to put in place a long overdue ban on fur farming. Email "Ban fur farming NOW" to Leo.Varadkar@oir.ie, michael.creed@oir.ie, taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, AnimalHealthAndWelfareAct@agriculture.gov.ie Tel: +353 (0)1 6194000 (Leo Varadkar) Tel: 01-607 2000 or LoCall 1890-200510 (Michael Creed) Tweet: @campaignforleo @creedcnw Ban fur farming NOW Comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campaignforleo/ https://www.facebook.com/michaelcreedtd VIDEOS ICABS footage - Victims of Ireland's cruel far farming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=artr7qwCLLk&index=2&list=PL43C1F00F38986C68 NARA footage showing caged mink in a fur farm in Donegal https://www.facebook.com/NARAcampaignsIRELAND/videos/1694193503937318/ Mink pulled from cages and thrown into gassing box https://youtu.be/m52k4aPXahU?t=3m6s