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Aengus Ó Snodaigh, TD calls for ban on blood sports
07 April 2009 Sinn Fein TD, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, has asked the Ministers for Environment and Agriculture to "introduce legislation banning all blood sports including hare coursing and fox hunting". Replying, Minister Gormley stated that he does not have a licensing or regulatory responsibility in relation to fox hunting. Minister Brendan Smith, meanwhile, stated that the new legislation will "ensure that animal welfare is properly protected and that penalties for offenders are increased significantly". Parliamentary Questions and Answers Question 1004 - Answered on 24th March, 2009 Aengus Ó Snodaigh: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in the context of his responsibility for animal welfare and the legal protection of animals from cruelty, he will introduce legislation banning all blood sports including hare coursing and fox hunting. The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: (Brendan Smith) The new Animal Health and Welfare Bill, which is currently being drafted, gives effect to a number of animal health and welfare commitments contained in the Programme for Government. These commitments include the updating of existing legislation to ensure that animal welfare is properly protected and that penalties for offenders are increased significantly. My officials have met with a wide range of organisations that made submissions on the draft summary of the Bill following the public consultation process initiated by me last year. The views expressed are being considered in the context of the drafting of the Bill. Question 401 - Answered on 10th March, 2009 Aengus Ó Snodaigh: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will introduce legislation banning all blood sports including hare coursing and fox hunting. Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Gormley): My responsibilities under the Wildlife Acts and the Habitats Regulations relate to the conservation of populations of certain wild animals. As foxes are not a protected species under the Wildlife Acts I do not have a licensing or regulatory responsibility in relation to fox hunting. Applications for hunting licences under the Wildlife Acts are processed by my Department. Each licence application is dealt with individually and any conservation impact on the particular species is taken into account in line with the provisions of the Acts. Animal welfare and legal protection of animals from cruelty are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. A draft Animal Health and Welfare Bill has been circulated by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for public consultation. This will, inter alia, update existing legislation to ensure that the welfare of animals is properly protected and that the penalties for offenders are increased significantly. ACTION ALERT - SAMPLE LETTER Please urge the six Green Party TDs to stand firm on their pledge to protect Irish animals from the terrible cruelty of blood sports.
Click here to send an email to all Green Party TDs
Minister John Gormley, Minister for the Environment.
Minister Eamon Ryan, TD, Minister of the Department of Communications.
Trevor Sargent TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture.
Ciaran Cuffe, TD.
Mary White, TD.
Paul Gogarty TD.
Click here to send an email to all Green Party TDs
Dear Minister / Deputy,
I am writing to urge the Green Party to please honour its pre-election promise to ban blood sports in Ireland. The Irish animals so cruelly abused and killed in our countryside are depending on your commitment to bring blood sports to an end.
As a first step, I appeal to Minister Gormley to please stop giving licences to the Irish Coursing Club and the Ward Union deer hunt. I also demand an end to Minister Gormley's granting of licences to the Department of Agriculture to snare and kill thousands of badgers as part of a failed TB Eradication scheme that has been described as 'slaughter masquerading as science'.
I also urge you to ensure that foxes are protected from the appalling cruelty of foxhunting and that those responsible for this animal abuse are subject to massive penalties.
Thank you. I look forward to your positive response.
[Name/Location]
Sinn Fein backs blood sports ban
Delegates at Sinn Fein's 2009 Ardfheis have voted in favour of a motion calling "for a total ban on all blood sports, including hare coursing and fox hunting". The motion was presented by Ogra Shinn Fein who highlighted the animal cruelty involved. According to an Irish Times report (February 23, 2009), delegates rejected a separate motion which claimed that coursing is not a blood sport. ACTION ALERT - SAMPLE LETTER
Videos: Cruelty licensed by Minister Gormley
Video: Foxhunting Cruelty in Ireland
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