Tomorrow, there will be a first ever Dáil vote on banning fox-hunting in this country, a drawn-out killing for sport of foxes, one of our native species.

It has been outlawed in the UK and most of Europe. This practice has been opposed in successive polls across every demographic, region, province and age, yet the three big parties seem to support it so they are out of sync with the general population. Will the Taoiseach allow Fianna Fáil TDs, 16 or 17 of whom I believe want to vote for my Bill, to do so? I have spoken to Fine Gael and Sinn Féin TDs who want to vote for my Bill. I ask the Taoiseach to give a lead. Given the date that is in it, let us learn that it is not a great idea to tell your TDs what to do against their will. The Taoiseach should learn from the presidential election where whips did not work very well and allow a free vote. It is not about the budget, the programme for Government or an economic issue. It is about a conscience issue - a cruelty issue. Will the Taoiseach allow a free vote?

It is a matter for each political party to decide when the whip applies and when it does not. If we changed all our processes, the Deputy would love for us to divide and fragment. That would suit her fine but there is a reason for political parties too. I would argue that we have had a democracy for 100 years because we have had strong cohesive political parties that were stable and able to deliver policies in times of crisis and in good times. That is a comment I would make generally and not in the context of the specific issue raised by the Deputy. The parties will decide individually on that issue and the whip will apply.