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Pat Rabbitte clarifies blood sports stance
9th July, 2003 Labour Party leader, Pat Rabbitte, has clarified his stance on blood sports, stressing that he does not support them. "I do not support bloodsports or hare coursing," he stated in a letter to ICABS supporters in June, adding that he has "no difficulty with age-old rural sports like fishing, shooting etc within the terms prescribed by law." The statement came after calls for a clarification of Mr Rabbitte's views on blood sports. In April, the party leader "sponsored" an "agreement" between two hunting organisations - the National Association of Regional Game Councils (gun clubs) and the UK-based Countryside Alliance. Both organisations support hunting wild animals with dogs with the Countryside Alliance’s website even promoting such nasties as lurcher and terrier work - carried out by what could only be described as sadists and thugs. Mr. Rabbitte, according to a press release from one of the groups, was quoted as stating that "it is inspiring that these two organisations are articulating a proactive vision for the future of Irish country life." However, in his statement in June, Mr Rabbitte revealed that he "agreed to a request to greet representatives of the two organisations in question led by an SDLP and a Unionist politician and based on a statement that, as presented to me, made no mention of blood sports."
To find out the views of other Irish politicians, please visit our Politicians page and click on Political Views. If your local Dail/Senate representatives are not included on this page, write to them now and ask them to support the campaign against blood sports in Ireland. Please forward replies you receive to ICABS. Thank you.
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