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Labour Party urged to push for bloodsports ban
22 November 2012
Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore and the Labour Party have been urged to act to stop the new Animal Welfare Bill from allowing some of Ireland's worst cruelty. The suffering caused to animals by coursing and hunting activities has been highlighted to Labour TDs.
"In its current form, the Bill allows some of Ireland's worst cruelty to continue, i.e. hare coursing, foxhunting, terrier-work, digging-out, etc," we pointed out. "Please support amendments to the Bill which are aiming to outlaw these appalling and unacceptable activities. Let history record that the Labour Party did everything possible to save Irish wildlife from the most appalling cruelty."
In its 2011 manifesto, the Labour Party outlined its commitment to helping Irish animals, saying "Labour will ensure that animal welfare is enhanced and protected, and will strengthen legislation on animal cruelty."
Please support us in our call by responding to the urgent action alert below.
The views of Labour TDs
Eamon Gilmore, TD (Labour, Dun Laoghaire):
"I am opposed to the blood sports of badger baiting, cock fighting, dog fighting, hare coursing and stag hunting."
Joe Costello, TD (Labour, Dublin Central):
"I am opposed to all blood sports." In January 2012, Joe Costello (Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) attended a protest against hare coursing outside the Department of Agriculture. Minister Costello stood alongside a banner calling for TDs to "Support the Bill to End Hare Coursing".
Tommy Broughan, TD (Labour Party, Dublin North East):
"I remain opposed to all so called blood 'sports'." (February 2010). ICABS has sent a message of thanks to Tommy Broughan, after he abstained from voting in the Wildlife Amendment Bill vote in 2010. "We wish to thank you very much for remaining true to your principles and refusing to vote against the Wildlife Amendment Bill on Tuesday. Your action helped achieve success for this historic bill and bring the cruel ward union hunt to an end," we stated.
Roisin Shortall, TD (Labour Party, Dublin North West):
"To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the large scale destruction of farm and other property, often running to thousands of euro, by the unauthorised use of such lands for the purposes of live hunting." (From a Dail Question tabled in 2004)
Eric Byrne, TD (Labour Party, Dublin South Central):
"I am sure that nobody likes to see or indeed put animals to death. I am a hillwalker and I hate to see those guys with their guns all dressed up like Army Rangers waiting to kill the deer." From an email to ICABS, December 2010.
Ruairí Quinn, TD (Labour, Dublin South East):
"I used to be a member of the Irish Council Against Blood Sports. Personally, I am against the hunting of live animals with dogs, i.e. fox hunting, live hare coursing and carted deer hunting."
Pat Rabbitte, TD (Labour, Dublin South West):
"I do not support bloodsports or hare coursing but I have no difficulty with age-old rural sports like fishing, shooting, etc within the terms prescribed by law."
Patrick Nulty, TD (Labour Party, Dublin West):
"I agree with the ban [on hare coursing] proposed." January 18, 2012. On October 18th 2012, Deputy Nulty joined protesters at an anti-bloodsports demonstration outside Dail Eireann.
Jan O'Sullivan, TD (Labour, Limerick City):
"I do not support blood sports."
Labour TDs, Sean Sherlock, Willie Penrose, Emmet Stagg and Jack Wall have expressed support for bloodsports. See our Political Views page for more details.
URGENT ACTION ALERTS
Urge Labour leader, Eamon Gilmore, and his party colleagues to push for a ban on coursing, foxhunting, digging-out and terrierwork.
An Tanaiste, Eamon Gilmore
Office of the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade,
Iveagh House,
80 St. Stephen’s Green,
Dublin 2.
Tel: 01 6183566 (Dail)
Tel: 01 408 2000 (Iveagh House)
Fax: 01 408 2400
Email: eamon.gilmore@oireachtas.ie (With a copy to Labour Party TDs)
Contact all your local TDs now and urge them to publicly back a ban on blood sports. Tell them you are one of the majority who want coursing and hunting banned. Please let us know about feedback you receive.
Find out the names of your TDs and their email addresses.
TD Email addresses, phone numbers and Facebook pages
If you prefer to post a letter to your TDs, address your correspondence to:
Dáil Éireann
Leinster House
Kildare Street
Dublin 2.
Appeal to the Minister for Agriculture
Please appeal to the Minister for Agriculture to remove an exemption for coursing and hunting from the new Animal Welfare Bill and to permanently bloodsports.
Simon Coveney, TD
Minister for Agriculture
Department of Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Email: minister@agriculture.gov.ie
Tel: 01-607 2884 or LoCall 1890-200510.
Fax: 01-661 1013.
Urgently contact An Taoiseach Enda Kenny (who has expressed opposition to coursing in the past). Ask him to back a ban on blood sports.
An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny
Department of the Taoiseach,
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion Street,
Dublin 2
Telephone: 01-6194020
Fax: 01-6764048
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie
Videos: Bloodsports Cruelty
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