Today we are starting a second lockdown and the people out there are restricted in very many ways. I appeal to the Government to implement logical, reasonable and sound restrictions. The coursing people of Ireland come from the countryside and they love coursing. They mind their animals and nurture the hares. They are in the middle of coursing but everything stopped yesterday evening. Coursing takes place in controlled areas in the countryside. It involves men, women and children out in the fresh air. They are not crowded into an enclosed area with close social contacts. This is totally unfair. Will the Tánaiste speak with the Ministers with responsibility for agriculture and the environment to sort out this matter? The people who were granted the licences are in the middle of coursing; some were running yesterday and the day before but these are now stopped. The hares are being looked after. There will be animal welfare concerns about dogs. This is a business for many people as well as a recreational activity and very valuable industry. It is very good for people's mental health.

A principal officer in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine recently stated that coursing is regulated under the greyhounds Acts from 1958 to 2019, subject to the general control and direction of Greyhound Racing Ireland. Under the Greyhound Racing Act 2019, a greyhound is defined as a dog entered into the Irish greyhound stud book. All greyhounds that race, whether on the track or coursing, are entered into that book. Therefore, the definition of a greyhound includes both track and coursing dogs, so coursing should be covered under greyhound racing and therefore be exempt under level 5 restrictions.

What is the difference between this activity and horse racing, for example? There is no difference whatever. It is run in a regulated fashion and if the Tánaiste studies the facts, he will see the Government was wrong in the decision it took at midnight last night. The National Parks and Wildlife Service should be notified immediately that the licences issued should be revalidated from today. What has been done is actually incorrect.

I am taking a different side of the conversation.

Is it from the side of the hares rather than the greyhounds?

Like everybody in the House, I have received numerous communications from my constituents concerned about another lockdown. Their concern arises because they have kept to the rules and regulations but there have been large-scale breaches of those rules by groups throughout the country. Given that the long weekend is coming, I plead with all concerned, and ask the Tánaiste to carry this message as well, that people should voluntarily comply with all the regulations and thereby bring the race of the virus to a halt.

I fully endorse Deputy Durkan's remarks. He is absolutely right and what happens in the next couple of weeks is very much in our hands as a nation and society. We can push back this virus with our actions over the next couple of weeks, thereby protecting ourselves, each other and particularly those most at risk in our society.

I am aware the hare coursing issue has been raised in the past couple of days. This was certainly a topic of discussion at the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party meeting last night. There is an exemption under level 5 restrictions for horse and greyhound racing, and the question is whether hare coursing falls under that exemption. We are going to try to clarify that today.