CLAIMS that muzzling of greyhounds had cut the cruelty levels in hare coursing were disputed by the Dublin Independent, Mr Tony Gregory. He appealed for a ban on live coursing. "The only way to eliminate cruelty is to have drag coursing where no live bait is used," he said.

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Jimmy Deenihan, said at Question Time that in 1993-94, when muzzling began, 267 hares were killed compared with just 30 last year. Before muzzling there were 1,000 kills annually. He hoped that with improved husbandry and veterinary supervision hare deaths could be eliminated altogether.

There were no kills at the national coursing meeting in Clonmel in February, nor were there any reports of serious injuries to either hares or greyhounds. Officials from the Department reported that the standard of coursing was exceptionally good and the welfare of hares and greyhounds was of paramount concern to the organisers.

He was monitoring developments since muzzling became obligatory at all authorised coursing meetings and he believed considerable progress had been made.

While drag coursing was popular in places, some people preferred to have hares and, he said, the coursing fraternity were concerned about the hare population. No section of the community looked after hares better. He disputed the claims of cruelty. "Coming from a rural constituency I have seen hares coursed and then they sit and relax very quickly."

Mr Gregory said if the Minister believed that he should be glad to be pursued by pit bull terriers and then "sit and relax very quickly".

There was a thin line between child abuse and the abuse of defenceless animals taken from their natural habitat in the wild and coursed for the sole purpose of entertainment. The time had come for a responsible attitude to the sensitivity of animals.