"This is an idea whose time has come": Congratulations to Solidarity TDs Ruth Coppinger, Mick Barry and Paul Murphy for this week moving a bill in Dail Eireann which aims to finally outlaw fur farming in Ireland.
"This bill gives the Dail the opportunity to ban the cruel and unethical practice of fur farming in Ireland," Deputy Coppinger stated in a speech. "It's a bill that has the active support of campaigners in Ireland and it's gathering huge momentum internationally as well."
"In Ireland, fur farming is done on three farms where there are approximately 200,000 mink," she outlined. "In the past, there was fox fur farming here as well, which is still legal, although it's not done at the moment.
Referring to an EU Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Welfare report which found that fur farming as inherently unethical and that it's not possible to stop it being cruel through regulation, she said that in Ireland, mink (native to North America and Russia) are kept in cages away from what would be considered their natural habitat and that, as they are not domesticated, they fear humans.
She went on to highlight that "public opinion is very firmly against fur farming and the fur industry". This, she noted, is reflected in the fact that there are no major retailers in Ireland that stock fur products and that when fur is identified in stores by campaigners, it's usually swiftly removed by retailers.
"Fur farming is already illegal in Britain, in Northern Ireland and in a range of countries across Europe," she continued. "This bill amends the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 to clarify that fur farming would be illegal here...I think this is an idea whose time has come. Solidarity proposed a ban on circus animals and the government acted swiftly in advance of that bill being debated in the Dail."
She appealed to members of Dail Eireann from all parties to support the bill and urged members of the public to "campaign vociferously" to ask TDs and Senators to support the bill.
This is particularly important, she emphasised, because the fur farming industry is likely to lobby against a ban: "It would seem that under capitalism, the cruel treatment of animals can be highly profitable but any measures to stop cruel practices can challenge the profits of an industry and I have no doubt that the fur farming industry will retaliate. Therefore, it's very important that people lobby their public representatives to support this bill."
Deputy Coppinger thanked the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Fur Free Alliance, the National Animal Rights Association, the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, Respect for Animals and "many other campaigners who support this bill and are campaigning for a ban on fur farming in Ireland".
Solidarity's proposed Prohibition of Fur Farming Bill 2018 states that: "A person shall be guilty of an offence if he or she keeps animals solely or primarily for slaughter (whether by the person or another) for the value of their fur, or for breeding progeny for such slaughter".
On Ireland's three remaining fur farms, an estimated 200,000 mink are permanently caged and at six months of age, they are pulled from the cages and poisoned to death with Carbon Monoxide before the fur is pulled from their bones. It is time for Ireland to join the growing list of countries in the EU and around the world which have already banned fur farming.
ACTION ALERT
Please contact all your local TDs and urge them to support Solidarity's bill. Contact details for TDs can be found at https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/32
Email "Please support a ban on cruel fur farming" to all Fine Gael TDs
maria.bailey@oireachtas.ie; sean.barrett@oireachtas.ie; pat.breen@oireachtas.ie; colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie; richard.bruton@oireachtas.ie; peter.burke@oireachtas.ie; catherine.byrne@oireachtas.ie; Ciaran.Cannon@oireachtas.ie; joe.carey@oireachtas.ie; corcorankennedy@eircom.net; Simon.Coveney@oireachtas.ie; michael.creed@oireachtas.ie; michael.darcy@oireachtas.ie; Jim.Daly@oireachtas.ie; john.deasy@oireachtas.ie; Pat.Deering@oireachtas.ie; Regina.Doherty@oireachtas.ie; Paschal.Donohoe@oireachtas.ie; andrew.doyle@oireachtas.ie; bernard.durkan@oireachtas.ie; damien.english@oireachtas.ie; Alan.Farrell@oireachtas.ie; frances.fitzgerald@oir.ie; peterm.fitzpatrick@oireachtas.ie; charles.flanagan@oireachtas.ie; Brendan.Griffin@oireachtas.ie; Simon.Harris@oireachtas.ie; Martin.Heydon@oireachtas.ie; Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie; paul.kehoe@oireachtas.ie; enda.kenny@oireachtas.ie; Sean.Kyne@oireachtas.ie; josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie; helen.mcentee@oireachtas.ie; joe.mchugh@oireachtas.ie; Tony.McLoughlin@oireachtas.ie; Mary.MitchellOConnor@oireachtas.ie; Dara.Murphy@oireachtas.ie; Eoghan.Murphy@oireachtas.ie; hildegarde.naughton@oireachtas.ie; tom.neville@limerick.ie; michael.noonan@oireachtas.ie; kate.oconnell@oireachtas.ie; Patrick.O'Donovan@oireachtas.ie; fergus.odowd@oireachtas.ie; JohnPaul.Phelan@oireachtas.ie; michael.ring@oireachtas.ie; noel@noelrock.ie; david.stanton@oir.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie
Urge Fianna Fáil leader, Micheal Martin, to pledge support for a long overdue ban on fur farming.
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie, info@fiannafail.ie
Tel: 021-432 0088 (Constituency Office) OR 01–618 3000 (Leinster House)
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichealMartinTD
Email "Please support a ban on cruel fur farming" to ALL Fianna Fáil TDs
billykelleher@eircom.net;sean.haughey@oireachtas.ie;Bobby.Aylward@oireachtas.ie;brendan.smith@oireachtas.ie;johncurranff@gmail.com;Charlie.McConalogue@oireachtas.ie;michael.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie;sean.ofearghail@oireachtas.ie;john.brassil@oireachtas.ie;darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie;eamon.ocuiv@oireachtas.ie;jackie.cahill@oireachtas.ie;john.mcguinness@oireachtas.ie;mattie.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie;micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie;michael.moynihan.td@oireachtas.ie;niall.collins@oireachtas.ie;coper@eircom.net;Robert.Troy@oireachtas.ie;thomas.byrne@oireachtas.ie;timmy.dooley@oireachtas.ie;barry.cowen@oireachtas.ie;fiona@fiona.ie;declan.breathnach@oireachtas.ie;mary.butler@oireachtas.ie;kevin.okeeffe@oireachtas.ie;dara.calleary@oireachtas.ie;escanlonmcc@eircom.net;sean.fleming@oireachtas.ie;niamh.smyth@oireachtas.ie;james@jameslawless.ie;shane.cassells@oireachtas.ie;willie.odea@oireachtas.ie;margaret.murphyomahony@oireachtas.ie;anne.rabbitte@oireachtas.ie;eugene.murphy@oireachtas.ie;jack.chambers@outlook.com;james.browne@oireachtas.ie;john.lahart@oireachtas.ie;lisa.chambers@oireachtas.ie;marc.macsharry@oireachtas.ie;jim.ocallaghan@oireachtas.ie;pat.casey@oireachtas.ie;aindrias.moynihan@oireachtas.ie;frankorourke1@gmail.com
Urge Minister Michael Creed and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to ban 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
Find out more about Solidarity's Bill at
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/1750869355028615/
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
Prohibition of Fur Farming Bill 2018: First Stage
Dail Eireann, 2nd October 2018
Ruth Coppinger (Solidarity, Dublin West): "This bill gives the Dail the opportunity to ban the cruel and unethical practice of fur farming in Ireland. It's a bill that has the active support of campaigners in Ireland and it's gathering huge momentum internationally as well. I'd like to thank the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Fur Free Alliance, the National Animal Rights Association, the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, Respect for Animals and many other campaigners who support this bill and are campaigning for a ban on fur farming in Ireland. In Ireland, fur farming is done on three farms where there are approximately 200,000 mink. In the past there was fox fur farming here as well, which is still legal, although it's not done at the moment. Mink are not domesticated animals and they fear humans. All other farmed animals, generally are domesticated animals who don't fear humans in their daily contact. The EU Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Welfare has described fur farming as inherently unethical and that it's not possible to stop it being cruel through regulation. Mink are native to North America and Russia. They are semi aquatic and they live as solo hunters. In fur farms, they are kept in cages and away from what would be considered their natural habitat. Given, they're ferocious hunters, they're kept under strictly secure premises. Indeed the first law related to mink in Ireland was aimed at keeping them out of Ireland and have regulations attached to any that might be here. Public opinion is very firmly against fur farming and the fur industry. It's reflected in the fact that there are no major retailers in Ireland that stock fur products and when fur is identified in stores by campaigners, it's usually swiftly removed by retailers. Fur produced here is on the export market. Fur farming is already illegal in Britain, in the North and in a range of countries across Europe and this bill amends the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 to clarify that fur farming would be illegal here. Already, this Act prohibits farming not in line with the animal's nature, type, species and breed, development, adaptation, domesticated, psychological and behavioural needs. However, the Minister still issues fur farming licences. This bill will give legal clarity around the need to ban fur farming...I would also finally say about jobs - no doubt that argument will be made - but the work on fur farms is seasonal and generally done by people travelling in and out of the country, not living here. I think this is an idea whose time has come. Solidarity proposed a ban on circus animals and the government acted swiftly in advance of that bill being actually debated in the Dail. I would appeal to people in the Dail - and all parties - to support this but also to all people who care about this issue to campaign vociferously to ask TDs and Senators to support this bill. It would seem that under capitalism, the cruel treatment of animals can be highly profitable but any measures to stop cruel practices can challenge the profits of an industry and I have no doubt that the fur farming industry will retaliate. Therefore, it's very important that people lobby their public representatives to support this bill."