Senator Power joins calls for end to coursing

Senator Power: I hope Minister will consider a coursing ban
17 July 2012

Fianna Fail Senator, Averil Power has condemned hare coursing as a "cruel pursuit" and called on Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to ban the activity.

During a Senate debate on Animal Health and Welfare Bill on 20 June, Senator Power stated:

"While I welcome the improvements in animal welfare provided for in the Bill I am disappointed that the Government decided against banning live hare coursing. As the Minister is aware, the practice has been banned in most other countries, including the UK and Northern Ireland, and it is my strong personal view that it is a cruel pursuit. Other countries have managed to create a sport out of drag coursing without inflicting pain and cruelty on animals.

"I note the Minister will have the power to make regulations and I hope he will consider a ban on live coursing," she added. "Fine Gael’s position on stag hunting appears to have moved on, or at least it has not implemented its pre-election commitment to overturn the ban introduced by the previous Government. I hope its position on animal welfare issues will evolve in a similar manner."

Minister Coveney responded by saying "I am not going to get into a debate on hare coursing but I respect the Senator’s views".

He went on to state that "We have endeavoured to get the balance right with this legislation in order to protect vulnerable animals...We have deliberately left alone the legal status of hunting and coursing."

With hares and foxes continuing to suffer the appalling horrors of coursing and foxhunting, the balance of the bill is clearly nowhere near "right". ICABS will continue pressing the Minister to include protection for hares, foxes and all wildlife from cruelty.

Read the full text of the debate at:
http://debates.oireachtas.ie/seanad/2012/06/20/00011.asp

ACTION ALERT

Contact Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and demand that a ban on coursing is included in the Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012.

Minister Simon Coveney
Department of Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Email: minister@agriculture.gov.ie
Tel: 01-607 2000 or LoCall 1890-200510.
Fax: 01-661 1013.

Urgently contact An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and An Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore. Ask them to show compassion for wildlife and introduce an immediate ban on coursing and foxhunting.

An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny
Department of the Taoiseach,
Telephone: 01-6194020

An Tanaiste, Eamon Gilmore
Office of the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade,
Tel: 01 6183566 (Dail) or 01 408 2000 (Iveagh House)

Email Both: eamon.gilmore@oireachtas.ie;taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie

Contact all your local TDs now. Demand that they urgently push for bans on coursing and foxhunting.

Find out the names of your TDs and their email addresses.

http://www.oireachtas.ie/members%2Dhist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=31&disp=const
http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/Members_emails/document1.htm

If you prefer to post a letter to your TDs, address your correspondence to:
Dail Eireann
Leinster House
Kildare Street
Dublin 2.

Please also arrange a meeting with your TDs at their local clinics. Contact us for details.

Senator Power joins calls for end to coursing
17 August 2011

Fianna Fail Senator, Averil Power, has been thanked by ICABS for joining calls for an end to hare coursing. The Dublin North East politician was among those who urged Minister Jimmy Deenihan to refuse a coursing licence.

Despite appeals from compassionate TDs, Senators and citizens around Ireland, however, the Minister for Arts issued the licence. It allows coursing clubs to capture thousands of hares from the wild to be used as live lures for greyhounds.

In an email to Minister Deenihan, ICABS stated: "The coursing licence you approved will cause immeasurable suffering to thousands of Irish Hares. Hares will suffer the fear and stress of being captured from the wild and running for their lives in front of greyhounds. Among the injuries likely are broken bones, dislocated hips, damaged toes and mashed internal organs."

The licence comes as a disappointment to the majority who want blood sports banned. The Irish Council Against Blood Sports' campaign will continue until the day coursing becomes history.

We have renewed our appeal to the government to follow the example of Northern Ireland which has today announced a permanent ban on coursing.

The licence issued by Jimmy Deenihan can be viewed at:
www.scribd.com/doc/62163168/Hare-coursing-licence-2011-12

ACTION ALERT

Contact Minister Deenihan now and urge him to stop licensing coursing.

Jimmy Deenihan, TD
Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs
Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
23 Kildare Street
Dublin 2

Email: ministersoffice@tcs.gov.ie
[with a copy to An Taoiseach - taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie]
Tel: (01) 631 3802
Fax: (01) 661 1201

SAMPLE LETTER
(If you have time, please compose your own personal letter. Otherwise, feel free to send the short sample letter below. Be assertive, but polite, in all correspondence. Thank you.)

Dear Minister Deenihan,
I am one of the majority of Irish citizens who want hare coursing outlawed. I am writing to express my great disappointment that you chose to license another season of this animal abuse. Please stop licensing coursing and follow the excellent example of your counterpart in Northern Ireland who has announced a permanent ban there.
I urge you to act on the wishes of the majority, show compassion and bring this blood sport to an end in the Republic.
Yours sincerely,
[Name/Location]

Forward a copy of your correspondence to your local TDs:
Find out the name of your TDs and their email addresses.

Write to your TDs at:
Dáil Éireann
Leinster House
Kildare Street
Dublin 2.