SINN FÉIN TD Martin Ferris yesterday said he did not consider hare coursing a blood sport.
A dispute has broken out between Mr Ferris and the Irish Council Against Blood Sports over what the organisation claims is an attempt by the Kerry TD to have a motion by Ógra Sinn Féin calling for the complete ban on blood sports rescinded.
However, Mr Ferris said he was stating his position on hare coursing because there was confusion surrounding the motion passed at the last party ardfheis calling for a ban on all blood sports. He said he was supportive of “traditional rural” pursuits such as hare coursing, and he did not consider it a blood sport as greyhounds were now muzzled.
He said he had never seen a hare being killed at a coursing meeting, and he has called on the Irish Council Against Blood Sports to state its position on horse racing, which can involve horses being put down at race meetings. He wants the organisation to say if horse racing and fishing are blood sports.
However, the Irish Council Against Blood Sports said four hares were killed during coursing meetings in Co Kerry last year.
It is also calling on Minister for the Environment John Gormley not to grant licences to net hares for the coursing season which begins at the end of this month.
“Mr Gormley has strong conservation reasons not to grant this licence as the hare population is in decline, and this decline continues, as a recent survey published in Northern Ireland shows.
“And in response to that decline all hare hunting across the Border has been suspended for the last five years, while down South our Green Minister turns a blind eye to the problem, and allows our precious hare population to be recklessly exploited by the coursers and other assorted hare hunters,” said spokeswoman Aideen Yourell.