Government party TDs are to oppose a forthcoming Dáil motion proposing a ban on hare coursing, with Coalition representatives not to receive a free vote on the issue.
People Before Profit Dublin South West TD Paul Murphy is to bring forward a bill this week to ban the sport on animal welfare grounds with a vote to take place in the Dáil tomorrow.
Mr Murphy had honed-in on Fine Gael TDs especially ahead of the vote after Tánaiste Simon Harris said that there should be more free votes on matters of conscience in the wake of the Dáil supporting a Sinn Féin motion to remove the three-day wait for abortion services.
The Cabinet agreed the Coalition should vote against the bill, with ministers agreeing there should be no free vote on the matter.
“The Government recognises the strength of feeling on this issue but cannot support a ban that is not supported by the best available independent scientific evidence,” a spokesperson said.
Paul Murphy is to bring forward a bill to ban the sport on animal welfare grounds
They added: “The Department of Agriculture’s priority is to strengthen enforcement against illegal hunting of the hare, including stronger sanctions and an expanded law of trespass, rather than to remove the regulatory structure that currently allows oversight of the practice, risking an increase in illegal hunting of the hare.”
Mr Murphy expressed his unhappiness at the decision, saying he hoped some TDs might defy their party’s wishes.
“It’s very disappointing that the Government is not going to permit a free vote on stopping the cruelty of hare coursing,” he said.
He added: “Simon Harris just recently said that there should be more free votes on matters of conscience.
“But apparently hares don’t qualify for Fine Gael conscience.
“I hope that some backbenchers defy the whip and vote in line with 77% of the public who want to see hare coursing banned,” he said.