Ireland's parliament, the Dail, has just debated the subject of animal cruelty. Some politicians, thankfully, raised the scandal of the government's refusal to outlaw hare coursing and fox hunting. Government ministers cynically used the debate to defend these cruelties while telling parliament how much they loved animals. The debate was worthwhile in other respects though as it has highlighted the need for greater enforcement of existing laws on animal protection and the urgency of action to end "respectable" cruelty posing as sport or economic necessity. You can see and hear the debate at this link: