I rise today to discuss the fox hunting Bill that will be before the Lower House tomorrow. As everyone knows, I have spoken on this in the past. I have received numerous emails from people claiming I misinformed this House when I spoke on the matter in the past. I said that, with an explosion in fox numbers, we might see a child or even an adult being attacked some day. Unfortunately, last week, a woman in County Cavan was attacked by a fox and received five stitches or staples to the back of her head. There was another incident in Sixmilebridge last week in which gardaí had to be called to an estate where kids were playing because a rogue fox attacked a child’s dog.

The Bill is coming in front of the Lower House tomorrow and I have read into it. In fact, I have had the five organisations in the audiovisual room to provide an informative session regarding all of the aspects of hunting, the hunting Bill and the welfare Act. What are the dangers to the wider community if foxes, which are predators, are not controlled? I refer to the number of foxes being allowed to go out of control in both urban and rural areas. Let us be quite clear. I am from a rural background but I have good friends living in cities and towns who accept that they do not understand the country way of life. For once, people are beginning to see that this is not a pet, but a pest.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger's comments this morning on “The Joe Finnegan Show” in which she branded farmers and hunts people as "cowboys" leave a very sad taste in rural people's mouths. I hope that, tomorrow, she apologises in the Lower House to the country people of Ireland for what she said. They are not cowboys. These people get up in the morning and put food on people's tables. I want that acknowledged tomorrow.

Well done, Senator Brady.