I am happy and pleased to support Deputy Murphy's Bill today on behalf of the Green Party. This is probably the fourth substantive debate we have had on animal welfare related issues during the term of this Dáil. We are discussing hare coursing today. We discussed fox hunting, puppy farms and greyhound racing. I recognise the work of those Deputies who have brought these issues forward as Private Members' Bills or motions. I welcome the focus during the term of the Dáil on these issues. It is indicative of the fact that people have moved past where the bigger parties are on issues of animal welfare. Unfortunately, for progress to be made and for laws to be changed, we need a majority across this House. In 2020, I was part of programme for Government negotiations on a wide range of issues. I remember being in the room when we debated issues of animal welfare and our party was not able to change the minds of the two other coalition parties at that time. We know from the speeches given today already, that when a vote is taken on Deputy Murphy's Bill, there is not a majority right now for this change and there is not a majority for some of the other changes that have been debated. It will be interesting when the Government's Bill on puppy farms comes forward. I welcome the fact the Government is advancing legislation on that but it is not strong enough and I hope we will be able to see the Government listen and be willing to make amendments to improve that legislation. The challenge here is that the larger parties in this House are not where the people are at. I welcome the recent decision of the membership of Sinn Féin to change party policy in respect of fox hunting. Muzzling of coursing greyhounds was introduced in 1993. It was brought in for the coursing meets themselves. It is not done for training, of course - there is no law around that - but I do not believe the introduction of muzzling justifies this blood sport. I do not believe you can muzzle cruelty. While the coursing itself may no longer result in a live hare being torn apart, we still have to consider the trauma a hare experiences in terms of its capture, a wild animal being held in captivity for a period of time, the trauma of release from captivity if it survives the coursing meet, but most significantly the trauma that comes from violent exposure to two far larger animals, even if they are muzzled, and all of the risks that creates. We know the Irish hare faces a variety of threats. It faces threats from hunting, probably most significantly from the destruction of a large amount of its habitat, from infectious diseases such as rabbit haemorrhagic disease and European brown hare syndrome, and it faces competition from other species as well. The Minister of State made a point about the risk, if Deputy Murphy's Bill is passed, that hare coursing will be driven underground.

Sentiment score: 0.08

Apologies. I know the point has been made about the risk of hare coursing being driven underground. First, it is important to recognise that illegal hare coursing already takes place underground. It is probably the biggest cause of mortality among hares right now. I do not believe the existence, and continued existence, of an illegal practice justifies the continued State support for a practice that is currently legal. While it is important the State takes those steps to deal with illegal coursing as it happens at the moment, I do not believe that should be linked to the continuance of hare coursing in legal meets. I see hare coursing as an issue that is interconnected with the wider issue of the greyhound industry in this country. I have a real concern, from responses to multiple sets of parliamentary questions I have submitted to the Department and the greyhound racing board, about what the traceability system that has been put in place is actually showing us. It is worthwhile to talk about one year, 2021, when 11,600 greyhounds were born. Of those, only 450 are still actively racing, five years later. Of the rest, 1,500 have been rehomed, something I welcome, but 3,300 of those dogs born in 2021 are dead. These are dogs that did not get past their fifth birthdays. A further 5,300 have been exported to countries where we have no control over the animal welfare standards they face. Those dogs may have been re-exported subsequently as well. The State provides significant funding to this industry - €20 million of taxpayer's money every year. It is my view that funding should not be provided any more. I know in the previous Dáil, my colleague, former Deputy Neasa Hourigan, brought forward Private Members' legislation to decouple the funding of greyhound racing from the funding of the wider equine industry. Ultimately, the point we will be voting on is the specific issue of hare coursing. I and my party do not believe the trauma caused by this practice, even in the muzzled context, is justified. I think Ireland should adopt the change, the evolution in thinking on this matter, that has been seen in many other countries. The introduction of the muzzle in 1993 was a reflection of the fact that the Irish people no longer believed it was morally justifiable for a live hare to be torn apart at the end of a coursing. In terms of their opposition, the Irish people's views on hare coursing have changed, evolved and have become more trenchant. The vote on this matter will demonstrate a House that is out of step with where the Irish people stand. Unfortunately, Deputy Murphy's Bill will not pass Second Stage, but I do think this matter will come before the House again. We have not seen the end of it.

Sentiment score: -0.02