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The Journal
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Bill to ban 'cruel and inhumane' fox hunting in Ireland introduced to Dáil
A BILL THAT would ban 'cruel' fox hunting in Ireland has been introduced to the Dáil. But the Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Fox Hunting) Bill was immediately opposed by two rural TDs, who said foxes pose concerns for farmers. People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger, who introduced the bill, said it was 'unprecedented' for a bill to be opposed at first stage. She said she believed it was the first time a bill banning fox hunting was introduced in the Dáil. She said that fox hunting had already been banned in England, Scotland and Wales for over two decades and remained in Ireland as 'a relic' of British rule. She said foxes in Ireland are dug out of the ground, attacked by packs of dogs and sometimes 'torn apart'. Trail hunting, snaring and traps will also be included in the ban under her bill. 'I believe that fox hunting is a cruel and inhumane so-called blood sport,' Coppinger told the Dáil. 'It clearly causes unnecessary suffering, packs of dogs chasing after a fox relentlessly is obviously a very stressful and unnatural situation. 'Foxes are our last wild dog in Ireland and they should be protected.' She cited a 2019 RED C opinion poll, commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, that indicated 77% believe fox hunting should be banned, and said that 74% of people polled who lived in rural areas believed it should be banned. Foxes 'serious concern to farmers' The bill was opposed at first stage by Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins and Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae, which Coppinger said was 'unprecedented'. 'I've never stopped a bill from going to second stage,' she told the Dáil, arguing that it was a 'stifling' of freedom of debate. Advertisement Collins said that foxes were classed as a pest and that foxes can cause 'a serious concern to many farmers', as well as native bird species. 'The next thing we'll be inside here looking to see can we protect the rat and the mouse,' he told TDs. 'No one wants to protect the human beings, that's the problem here from what I can see.' He said there are fines of thousands of euros if there are breaches of existing fox hunting rules. 'Foxes do pose huge threats to farmers, I suppose if you were brought up in rural Ireland you'd understand that.' Healy-Rae said that people 'from all corners of Kerry' had got in touch with him 'to ensure that we stop this, where it's being tried to start'. 'They're all over the place' He claimed that 11 out of 12 hens owned by a constituent were killed by a fox. 'The numbers have increased dramatically. They're all over the place. They're coming into towns and villages. They're in and out of bins and they are everywhere. 'They have taken over, they have completely taken over the place.' Healy-Rae said he was calling a vote on the issue before being told by Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy that he could not do that. 'If I'm going to call a vote, I let you know,' she said. Chief whip Mary Butler said the government was not opposing the bill at first stage but would consider it at second stage. 'As is normally the case with Private Members' Business, the bill will not be opposed at first stage, that is the process. 'If and when the bill is listed for second stage, like all other Private Members Business, the government will then consider the matter at that point.'
Agriland
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Agriland
TD to introduce bill seeking to ban fox hunting
People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger is set to ramp her efforts to ban fox hunting in Ireland. The Dublin West TD will introduce her Animal Health and Welfare (Ban On Fox Hunting) Bill in the Dáil on Tuesday (May 27). A 'Ban Fox Hunting' protest will take place outside the Dáil on Kildare Street at 1:00p.m on the same day. Fox hunting Deputy Coppinger's bill aims to amend the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which she said contains an exemption for hunting. If enacted, the bill would add a paragraph to Section 12 of the act to specify that 'fox hunting and related practices are banned and therefore cannot be considered as lawful hunting'. The bill focuses on banning not only fox hunting, but also trail hunting and the snaring and trapping of foxes. The proposed legislation would ban the hunting of foxes, including with dogs, and the use of dogs to flush or dig out a fox from below ground. Ban The bill states that 'fox hunting is a cruel and inhumane blood sport'. 'Fox hunting causes unnecessary suffering and stress to the fox. The practice entails setting a pack of dogs on a fox who then chase and kill the fox. 'The pack of dogs are generally pursued by hunters on horseback. It is a common practice for any fox that escapes underground to have hunt followers set terrier dogs on them to kill them underground or to flush them out. It is an archaic practice with a deeply elitist culture. 'Public opinion is opposed to the practice, with opinion polls overwhelmingly supportive of a ban on fox hunting,' the bill adds. The bill cites that fox hunting has been banned in Britain for over 20 years (Scotland introduced a ban in 2002, and England and Wales in 2005). 'Experience in Britain has shown that a loophole that permits trail hunting – where the scent of a fox is followed – often leads to the pursuit and killing of a fox,' the bill claims. 'The fox is a mammal native to Ireland and is part of Ireland's biodiversity. The killing of foxes through fox hunting is not needed to protect livestock or to protect biodiversity,' it adds. Deputy Coppinger revealed in February that she was working on this bill. In a video posted on social media at that time, she stated: 'Fox hunting has no benefit to anybody, except to entertain a tiny minority of usually quite privileged people. It is not a traditional pastime. It needs to be outlawed'. Deputy Coppinger was previously involved in securing a ban on fur farming in Ireland. She is also in favour of a ban on greyhound racing and hare coursing.
