Latest news with #PeopleBeforeProfit-Solidarity
Agriland
6 days ago
- Politics
- Agriland
Fox hunting bill passes first stage of voting in Dáil
The bill seeking to ban fox hunting in Ireland passed the first stage of voting in the Dáil, by a margin of 113 – 49, yesterday, May 28. People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger introduced the bill to amend the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 to specify that 'fox hunting and related practices are banned and therefore cannot be considered as lawful hunting'. A bill must pass through five stages in both the Dáil and Seanad before it can be enacted. The fox hunting bill will now move onto the second stage of the proceedings. This is where the general principles of the bill are debated, and provides TDs the opportunity to discuss what the bill contains, and what might be included in a relevant way. Deputy Coppinger told the Dáil that Ireland has 'become an outlier' as fox hunting is banned in England, Scotland and Wales. 'I believe fox hunting is a cruel and inhumane so-called blood sport. It clearly causes unnecessary suffering. 'Packs of dogs chasing after a fox relentlessly is obviously a very stressful and unnatural situation,' the Dublin West TD said. Deputy Coppinger said that in 1998 a code of conduct was approved by a minister for fox hunting packs. However, she said this has 'eliminated none of the cruelty that makes fox hunting one of Ireland's most inhumane activities'. 'Foxes are still dug out of the ground and tracked by trained terriers. Foxes are still chased by packs of dogs, sometimes for hours, and torn apart when caught. 'If a domestic animal were treated in this way, there would be an outcry,' she said. Fox hunting Independent Ireland TD Michael Collins, and Independent TD, Danny Healy-Rae both opposed the bill. Deputy Collins said that 'foxes are classified as a pest species', with up to 200,000 of the animals currently in the country. 'We need to have some kind of control, because the next thing we will be in here seeing if we can protect the rat, the mouse, or whatever. Nobody wants to protect the human beings; that is the problem from what I can see here,' he said. 'Foxes pose huge threats to farmers. If Deputy Coppinger had been brought up in a rural area, she would understand that. How many times have I heard down through the years that a fox had broken into a hen yard and destroyed every hen in the yard? 'They are also a threat to our native birds and young lambs. We need to have controls for foxes and hares. We should not be afraid to say that in this house. Independent Ireland will certainly be opposing the bill going forward,' he added.
RTÉ News
28-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Bill to ban fox hunting passes first stage vote in Dáil
The Dáil has voted to pass the first stage of a piece of legislation that would ban fox hunting with 113 TDs voting in favour and 49 against. However, the Government has said that it will oppose the legislation when it comes before the Dáil again. The Animal Health and Welfare Bill had been proposed by People Before Profit-Solidarity TDs Ruth Coppinger and Paul Murphy. However in an unusual move at this point in the passage of a bill, a vote was called by Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae and Michael Collins of Independent Ireland. A Government spokesperson said the decision to call a vote on this bill at first stage means that in effect this became a vote on the right of a TD to table legislation. They said it would be undemocratic and unprecedented in the modern parliamentary era for the Government to vote down the right of a legislator to table a bill at first stage. "We are clear that the vote should not have been called at this stage, and it is not good practice for TDs to be denied their right to table bills. "For that reason the Government will vote for the Bill at first stage but will oppose it at second stage," they said.
Irish Independent
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Meath councillor calls for ban on ‘barbaric' fox hunting
Councillor Alan Lawes, who travelled to the Dáil this week to support a bill that would outlaw fox hunting in Ireland, said public opinion is shifting — even in areas where the tradition was once accepted. 'No tradition should involve causing pain and suffering to an animal,' he said. The bill, introduced by People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger, seeks to amend the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 to state explicitly that 'fox hunting and related practices are banned and therefore cannot be considered as lawful hunting.' Mr Lawes added: 'It's a cruel and barbaric practice; it's a left-over from colonial times and now most people don't want to see fox hunting continue. We want it banned.' 'England has had the ban in for a couple of years and we need to do the same. This practice has no place in the 21st century.' He also confirmed plans to propose a local motion, following the example of Fingal County Council, which recently adopted a measure prohibiting hunting on council-owned land. 'There was a motion passed in Fingal to ban hunting on council land, and I'll be bringing a similar motion before Meath County Council,' he said. A Red C poll found that 77pc of the population wants fox hunting banned, including 74pc in rural areas. The Leas-Cathaoirleach of the Navan district added that not everybody in the farming or rural community supports fox hunting.
Agriland
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Agriland
2 TDs oppose proposed bill to ban fox hunting
People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger has introduced a bill seeking to ban fox hunting in Ireland in the Dáil. The bill aims to amend the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 to specify that 'fox hunting and related practices are banned and therefore cannot be considered as lawful hunting'. Deputy Coppinger told the Dáil that Ireland has 'become an outlier' as fox hunting is banned in England, Scotland and Wales. 'I believe fox hunting is a cruel and inhumane so-called blood sport. It clearly causes unnecessary suffering. 'Packs of dogs chasing after a fox relentlessly is obviously a very stressful and unnatural situation,' the Dublin West TD said. Fox hunting Deputy Coppinger said that in 1998 a code of conduct was approved by a minister for fox hunting packs. However, she said this has 'eliminated none of the cruelty that makes fox hunting one of Ireland's most inhumane activities'. 'Foxes are still dug out of the ground and tracked by trained terriers. Foxes are still chased by packs of dogs, sometimes for hours, and torn apart when caught. 'If a domestic animal were treated in this way, there would be an outcry,' she said. A protest outside Dáil Éireann to coincide with the introduction of the bill calling for a ban on fox hunting. Source: Ruth Coppinger on X The TD told the Dáil that there is public support in both urban and rural areas to ban fox hunting, citing a Red C poll. 'Fox hunting has been banned for over two decades in Britain. I fail to understand why anyone would defend it here. 'The fox is a mammal native to Ireland and is part of Ireland's biodiversity. Fox hunting is of no benefit to anybody,' she added. Opposition Two TDs indicated that they would be opposing the bill, with Deputy Coppinger stating that this was 'unprecedented'. 'I have introduced many controversial things, as have other TDs, and I have never stopped a bill from going to second stage. 'I have been told to put on the big-girl pants and allow debate, but here we have a stifling of the freedom of debate and freedom of speech. I ask TDs and the government to reject the call to stop the bill progressing,' she said. Independent Ireland TD Michael Collins said that 'foxes are classified as a pest species', with up to 200,000 of the animals currently in the country. 'We need to have some kind of control, because the next thing we will be in here seeing if we can protect the rat, the mouse, or whatever. Nobody wants to protect the human beings; that is the problem from what I can see here,' he said. 'Foxes pose huge threats to farmers. If Deputy Coppinger had been brought up in a rural area, she would understand that. How many times have I heard down through the years that a fox had broken into a hen yard and destroyed every hen in the yard? 'They are also a threat to our native birds and young lambs. We need to have controls for foxes and hares. We should not be afraid to say that in this house. Independent Ireland will certainly be opposing the bill going forward,' he added. Deputy Collins said that under current regulations there are potential punishments for animal welfare violations including substantial fines and jail terms. Independent Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae said he had been contacted 'from every corner of Kerry' by people wanting to stop this bill. 'All of us living in rural parts of Ireland know the damage that the fox has done and is doing. The numbers have increased to a massive amount altogether,' he said. The TD said that he was 'certainly opposing this bill' and would call for a vote. Government chief whip Mary Butler said that 'as is normally the case with private members' business, the bill will not be opposed on 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,' she added. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy postponed the matter until tonight (Wednesday, May 28).
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.'
