Coursing and hare netting
Senator Davitt raised delays and dissatisfaction over the limited netting of hares for coursing, saying the matter needs a quicker resolution despite ministerial agreement in principle.
I do not know how up to speed the Leader is on this matter, but I had a brief meeting with Deputy Cahill earlier to discuss coursing and the netting of hares. The two relevant Ministers, Deputies Madigan and Creed, have agreed to the limited netting of hares for use in coursing and will assess the situation further over the next three or four weeks. The only complication is that it will be late in the coursing season by then. Having spoken to Deputy Cahill, it is fair to say that Fianna Fáil is not happy with this. A speedier resolution is needed. While we welcome that a limited number of hares will be netted in the coming weeks, the plan in this regard is too long-term in nature. The Leader might speak to the relevant Ministers and speed up the process.