Following an announcement this week by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald that the party is opposed to cruel foxhunting and will support a ban at the next opportunity, Sinn Fein MEP Matt Carthy has issued a statement to say that if he and running mate Pauline Tully win seats in Saturday’s general election, they will “continue to support traditional pursuits and will strive to ensure that Sinn Féin policy always reflects this”.
As reported earlier this week, Mary Lou McDonald TD - in response to correspondence from ICABS - stated: “Sinn Fein is opposed to foxhunting and we will vote in favour of a ban at the next opportunity.”
Her statement has been widely welcomed, with our related Facebook post attracting over 110,000 views.
Matt Carthy MEP - in an apparent attempt to pacify disgruntled constituents who don’t want their cruelty curtailed - took to Facebook to comment: “In my role as a MEP I have always supported local game clubs [shooters] including having led opposition to the proposed EU ban on lead shot bullets. If elected as TDs, myself and Pauline Tully will continue to support traditional pursuits and we will strive to ensure that Sinn Féin policy always reflects this.”
“To clarify some comments doing the rounds, Sinn Féin fully recognise the value that traditional rural pursuits including hunting and fishing bring to local rural economies and the role played by local associations in communities around the country,” he continued. “As well as this, local game clubs play a valuable part in protecting sustainable wildlife management, as well as supplementing the work of monitoring certain species in coordination with national agencies. This can be done, in my opinion, in a way that emphasises the importance of animal welfare without introducing bans on particular activities.” https://www.facebook.com/MattCarthySF/posts/3107751489258311
Matt Carthy did not specifically refer to “fox hunting” and he and Pauline Tully have been asked to clarify if they support or oppose the bloodsport which involves releasing packs of hounds to terrorise and brutally tear foxes apart.
Brought to his attention is the fact that most people in Ireland are in favour of a ban on bloodsports. A RED C opinion poll carried out in September found that a 77% majority of citizens want the government to outlaw both foxhunting and hare coursing.
Sinn Fein is now being urged to work towards reinstating its previous anti-hare coursing stance. This would prove popular with the electorate - while 77% are in favour of a coursing ban, just 9 per cent disagree with a ban, according to the RED C poll. The party voted against a proposed ban on coursing in 2016. In 2017, an Ard Fheis motion calling for the party to support a ban on coursing was narrowly rejected. In 2018, a motion was passed reaffirming the party’s opposition to “an outright ban” on coursing.
A petition urging Sinn Fein to back a ban has been signed by over 66,000 people - https://www.change.org/p/sinn-fein-support-a-ban-on-cruel-hare-coursing
Elsewhere, outgoing pro-coursing Sinn Fein TD Martin Ferris was claiming on Facebook that “we are not opposed to funding for the horse and greyhound industries. In fact we are fully aware of the importance of these industries in our economy and particularly to rural Ireland.” https://www.facebook.com/martin.ferris.52/posts/1867190680246133
This, despite the fact that over the past four years, Sinn Fein TDs have consistently voted against the funding - a party position widely welcomed by the two-thirds majority who want the funding stopped. In December, Martin Ferris himself was among the TDs who voted against the funding https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2019-12-03/12/ He also voted against it in 2016 and 2018 (he did not register a vote in 2017).
Since 2001, the government has shamefully doled out more than one and a quarter billion euros of taxpayers’ money to the two gambling industries, including €84 million for 2020. Much of the money given to horse racing ends up as prize money in the pockets of wealthy horse owners and trainers, while the funding for greyhound racing continues despite plummeting attendance at tracks due to shocking revelations about cruelty and killing.
In his statement, Martin Ferris added that “we do not support a ban on hare coursing”. Both he and the general election candidate hoping to replace him - Cllr Pa Daly - are both supporters of coursing. ICABS understands that Pa Daly has attended coursing meetings. Last month, he placed an advert in the Castleisland coursing club booklet which stated: “Best wishes to Castleisland Coursing Club from Pa Daly, Sinn Fein Cllr”.
Mary Lou McDonald’s statement this week in support of a ban on foxhunting follows a similar announcement in 2018, when the party confirmed that it would support legislation to ban fur farming in Ireland. Responding to an appeal from ICABS at the time, Mary Lou McDonald TD stated: "After consultation with our Policy Department, I can confirm that Sinn Féin passed a motion at an Ard Fheis a number of years ago to ban mink farming. I am therefore happy to confirm that we will be in a position to support the legislation when it is introduced at second stage."
Last week, the Irish Mirror reported that Sinn Fein was preparing to present a motion at Belfast City Hall declaring that the “display of caged animals in enclosures is wrong and unethical”. A Sinn Fein councillor pushing for the closure of Belfast Zoo was quoted as saying: “The current treatment of animals for entertainment purposes should have no place in modern Belfast."
SEE ALSO
Sinn Fein has announced that it is in favour of a ban on cruel fox hunting and will give its backing to future legislation to outlaw it.
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2705952319520309
A RED C poll, commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, reveals that a massive 77% agree that the government should BAN HARE COURSING. The opinion poll carried out in September found that just 9% disagree with a ban https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2513861852062691
A RED C poll has revealed that a massive 77% agree that the government should BAN FOXHUNTING.
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2622019234580285
Belfast Zoo facing closure as Sinn Féin says caging animals 'wrong and unethical'
https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/popular-zoo-facing-closure-sinn-21400714
ACTION ALERT
Please join us in urging Sinn Fein to respect the wishes of the majority and reinstate its previous anti-coursing policy.
Sinn Féin
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Dublin 1, Ireland
Tel: (353) 1 8726100/8726932
Email: admin@sinnfein.ie