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Minister Humphreys Rolls Over For Hare Coursers
24 April 2015
The National Parks & Wildlife Service, after "discussions" with Arts & Heritage Minister Heather Humphreys, decided not to sanction two coursing clubs for breaches of licence conditions and gave them the go-ahead to carry on coursing hares during the 2014/15 season, despite what they termed the “seriousness of the incidents at these meetings”.
According to an internal National Parks memo, obtained by ICABS under FOI: "It was decided, given the seriousness of the incidents at these meetings, to impose sanctions on both clubs (Mallow and Liscannor) by way of a reduction in the number of competitive courses allowed by each club at their forthcoming meetings. However, following discussions with the Minister, it was decided that before the imposition of these sanctions, both clubs should be given the opportunity to provide assurances relating to future co-operation with Department officials..."
According to another NPWS memo, “The main issues of concern reported by the Conservation Ranger at the Liscannor meeting on 28 and 29 September 2013 was the refusal of club officials to allow access to the paddock area (where hares are kept) and subsequent intimidation and verbal abuse of the conservation ranger”. And in Mallow, according to the same internal NPWS memo, there was lack of cooperation with the conservation ranger and discrepancies relating to the release of hares, plus a claim by the club that the conservation ranger was present at releases when in fact this was not the case.
In other documents seen by ICABS, the Mallow coursing club penned an arrogant and totally unapologetic letter to the National Parks & Wildlife Assistant Principal, challenging the conservation ranger’s report, i.e. claiming that she did not turn up to oversee the release of the hares, while in fact it was the coursers who did not turn up at the appointed time, refusing to give their contact phone numbers to the ranger, stating they didn’t have mobile phones. The letter then went on to say: “As regards the threatened sanctions, our two local TDs Sean Sherlock and Tom Barry have been made aware of the situation.” They further stated that the two TDs were “well aware that the Mallow club at all times abide by the rules”.
The response of the National Parks’ licensing section to this arrogance from Mallow coursing club was to propose a mere slap on the wrist in the form of curtailment of a number of hare courses, which would result in their meeting being reduced by half the number of courses. It was also proposed by the NPWS that Liscannor coursing club would have one third of the usual number of hare courses reduced. However, in a total climb down, after "discussions with the Minister", it was decided not to implement any sanction whatsoever on Liscannor and Mallow, the Minister and NPWS accepting their assurances that they would behave themselves in the future.
This climb down by the Minister, who has previously insisted that breaches of the licence conditions by hare coursers will not be tolerated, sends a clear signal to the coursers that they can do as they please, as sanctions are seldom meted out for bad behaviour. It is outrageous that the Liscannor coursers were allowed to hold a meeting after intimidating and verbally abusing a ranger, while Mallow refused to cooperate with the ranger, and then in a letter to the National Parks, were totally unapologetic, again contradicting the ranger's true account of events and criticising her.
It is clear now that the flimsy licence conditions attached to the hare coursing licence is not worth the paper it is written on, and the coursers are clearly in the driving seat, with less and less hare coursing meetings being monitored by the National Parks, due to lack of manpower. In any event, no amount of monitoring and supervision is going to alleviate the terror and stress inflicted on vulnerable hares used as live bait before greyhounds in coursing, and the only solution is a total ban on this barbaric, outdated activity.
Get in touch with all your local TDs now and urge them to back a ban on hare coursing.
Visit the Oireachtas website for names of TDs and their email addresses http://www.oireachtas.ie/members%2Dhist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=31&disp=const
Email TDs online at Contact.ie - http://www.contact.ie/contact-national-politicians
Write to your TDs at: Dail Eireann, Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 01-618 3000 or 1890 337 889.
Express your support for a ban on coursing. Sign and share petitions
Stop Licensing Cruel Hare Coursing
Save Irish hares from cruel coursing
Ban horrific hare coursing cruelty in Ireland
Stop sponsoring hare coursing in Ireland
Urge Minister Heather Humphreys to show compassion for the persecuted Irish Hare and stop licensing cruel hare coursing.
Email "Stop licensing cruel hare coursing" to Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie
[Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie,ministers.office@ahg.gov.ie,taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie,joan.burton@oireachtas.ie,wildlifelicence@ahg.gov.ie,Gerry.Leckey@ahg.gov.ie]
Tel: (01) 631 3802 or (01) 631 3800
Leave a comment on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/heather.humphreysfg
Tweet to Heather Humphreys: @HHumphreysFG
Tweet to @HHumphreysFG
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.)
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Dear Minister,
I am one of the majority who want hare coursing outlawed. I am writing to urge you to stop licensing this cruel bloodsport In coursing, hares suffer at all stages - during the capture, during the time they are kept in captivity and during the coursing meetings where they run for their lives in front of greyhounds. Among the injuries recorded are broken legs, damaged toes and dislocated hips. Every season, hare injuries and deaths are documented. I ask you to please act on the wishes of the majority, show compassion and stop licensing coursing. Thank you. Yours sincerely, [Name/Location] |
Appeal to the Minister for Agriculture
Please appeal to the Minister for Agriculture to remove an exemption for hare coursing from the Animal Health and Welfare Act.
Simon Coveney, TD
Minister for Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Email: Simon.Coveney@oireachtas.ie
Tel: 01-607 2884 or LoCall 1890-200510.
Fax: 01-661 1013.
Urgently contact An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and ask him to back a ban on hare coursing.
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: Ireland's hare coursing cruelty
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