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Budget 27. Funding of Animal Abuse

Budget 27 Gives €102m of Taxpayers’ Money to Fund Animal Abuse

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Budget 27 has allocated €102m to the Irish horse racing and greyhound racing industries.

€81.6 million will go to Horse Racing Ireland, while Greyhound Racing Ireland will get €20.4 million.

This is a €2.9 million increase over last year’s allocation of €99.1 million.

The 2027 funding will bring to over two billion euros (€2,036,271,127) the amount channelled into these two gambling activities by the government since 2001.

Budget 27 Gives €102m of Taxpayers’ Money to Fund Animal Abuse Read Post »

Hunting pack of hounds. Hunts Not Welcome on Private Property.

‘Get Out’, ‘Get Out’, Homeowner’s Response to Hounds Invasion in Co. Limerick

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‘Get Out’, ‘Get Out’ was an outraged homeowner’s response to an invasion of his garden by a hunting pack of hounds.

The incident took place in Kildimo, a village about 13km from Limerick city, on the 29 September last, during a fox cub hunting session by a local pack of hounds.

The homeowner recorded the hounds running in and out of his property.

The video shows hounds ran through a garden, disturbing flock of hens before running onto the public road into passing traffic. It is believed that hounds were hunting a fox which led them to invade the garden.

No hunt officials were present to control the hounds or remove the hounds from the property.

‘Get Out’, ‘Get Out’, Homeowner’s Response to Hounds Invasion in Co. Limerick Read Post »

Open Seasons Order. Hunting season.

Hunting Season Opens in Ireland – Wildlife Under Fire

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The hunting season for birds and mammals has opened in Ireland.

The Open Seasons Orders (Birds) and (Mammals) list the bird and mammal species that can be hunted by individuals, and at organised hunting meetings.

From the 1st of August onwards, birds and animals can be hunted using firearms, packs of harrier and beagle hounds, and at regulated hare coursing meetings. The Open Seasons Order sets out the hunting season dates and areas of the country that legal hunting can take place.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service/NPWS are the regulatory body that issues and oversees the operation of the Open Seasons Orders.

Hunting Season Opens in Ireland – Wildlife Under Fire Read Post »

Heritage Minister James Browne.

Heritage Minister Called Upon to Protect Irish Bird Heritage

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Heritage Minister James Browne is being urged to remove all red and amber listed birds from the Open Seasons Order (Birds).

The Irish Council Against Blood Sports/ICABS said the Minister needs to act to save and protect Irish birds.

A recent High Court ruling found that the Heritage Minister’s predecessor (Darragh O’Brien), and the previous Minister of State for Nature (Malcolm Noonan), acted lawfully in removing red-listed pintail, pochard, scaup and goldeneye ducks from the annual shooting list knowns as the Open Season Order (Birds).

The National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC) had brought a Judicial Reviews case to the Wildlife (Wild Birds) (Open Seasons) (Amendment) Order 2023, which made it unlawful to hunt the four species of duck after August 24, 2023.

The NARGC made that case the minister had acted unlawfully in making the order by failing to comply with a provision of the Wildlife Act 1976.

Heritage Minister Called Upon to Protect Irish Bird Heritage Read Post »

Ban Hare Coursing Ireland. DAFM veterinary inspectors.

DAFM Inspectors Attend Only 4 Hare Coursing Meetings Between 2019-2023

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DAFM veterinary inspectors attended just four of around 200 hare coursing meetings between 2019 and 2023, while no meetings were attended in 2021 and 2023.

A reporter from the journal.ie website obtained this information in a Freedom of Information Request/FOI to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine/DAFM.

DAFM Veterinary Inspectors Report
A summary of the available DAFM inspector’s reports revealed that four coursing meetings were attended, sixteen hares were hit by dogs, a greyhound was euthanised and issued with the training of hares, escape routes and the speed at which handlers intervened were identified.

An entry in an inspector’s report that indicated that 10 hares were killed at a meeting in Clonmel, was later corrected to zero, with the reason provided that it was a clerical error.

DAFM Inspectors Attend Only 4 Hare Coursing Meetings Between 2019-2023 Read Post »

Brittany Ferries Ends Live Animal Transportation from Ireland.

Brittany Ferries Decision to End Livestock Transportation is a Ferry Good Animal Welfare Victory

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Brittany Ferries decision to end livestock transports is a victory for animal welfare, according to animal welfare organisations.

The company has decided to cease transport of all live farmed animals, including unweaned calves, from Ireland to France from September 2026.

A sustained international campaign led by several NGOs including Ethical Farming Ireland (EFI), Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), WELFARM, FOUR PAWS, L214, Eyes on Animals, and Eurogroup for Animals, Southampton Animal Action and Dorset Animal Action has forced the company to exit the livestock transport trade.

Brittany Ferries Decision to End Livestock Transportation is a Ferry Good Animal Welfare Victory Read Post »

Greyhound Deaths In Ireland 2026.

Greyhound Deaths Continue in 2026 – 55 Greyhounds Dead

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Greyhound deaths and injuries continue in Irish greyhound racing.

55 greyhounds were killed at Irish greyhound racing tracks in the first five months of 2026.

Official Irish greyhound industry figures show that 93 greyhounds suffered injuries at races between January and the end of May and more than half of them (50) were “euthanised” by track vets.

The deaths of 5 other injured greyhounds are listed as racing fatalities – they “died on the track or shortly after a race”.

The greyhound injury and death information was released in response to a recent Dáil question by Paul Murphy TD.

Greyhound Deaths Continue in 2026 – 55 Greyhounds Dead Read Post »

Cow in a Field. DAFM Enforcement Operation.

DAFM Enforcement Operation Raises Animal Welfare Concerns

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A DAFM enforcement operation on a Co. Roscommon farm has raised animal welfare concerns.

The farm is the location of an ongoing animal welfare court case and it has been reported that approximately 500 cattle were found dead on this farm between 2023 and 2025 before this latest enforcement action took place.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine /DAFM has confirmed it carried out an enforcement operation on Thursday (July 9) with support and assistance from An Garda Síochána.

A DAFM spokesperson said it has lead policy responsibility for animal welfare and it takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously.

An official statement regarding the outcome of the enforcement operation has not been issued by DAFM.

DAFM Enforcement Operation Raises Animal Welfare Concerns Read Post »

Hare Coursing in Ireland. Irish Politicians.

125 Irish Politicians Vote to Continue Irish Hare Abuse

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125 Irish Politicians have voted to continue the annual abuse of the Irish hare in the Irish countryside.

A Dáil vote was held on Wednesday 8th July on a bill introduced by Paul Murphy that would outlaw hare coursing.

The Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020, aimed to prohibit the coursing of hares with dogs by amending the Wildlife Act 1976 and the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.

Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Fine Gael, Aontu and Independent Ireland TDs voted against the bill, while 24 TDs representing the political parties: People before Profit-Solidarity, Labour, Social Democrats, Green Party, 100% Redress Party, and one Independent TD, voted in favour.

125 Irish Politicians Vote to Continue Irish Hare Abuse Read Post »

Two greyhunds chasing a hare. The Animal Health and Welfare.

The Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020 Dáil Debate

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The Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020, proposed by Paul Murphy TD People before Profit, was debated in the Dáil on the 2nd July.

Nine TDs spoke during the debate with six TDs speaking in favour of passing the bill that would outlaw hare coursing in Ireland.

Three TDs spoke in favour of continue to use the Irish hare as a live lure for two greyhounds.

A summary of the debate provides an overview of the different opinions on hare coursing.

Paul Murphy TD, People Before Profit-Solidarity, said: “It is an honour to finally be moving this at Second Stage after the Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill was first introduced in 2020. It has been a long road getting to this point. This section of the road will finish next Wednesday with a vote. I will start and finish with an appeal to the public to get on to their TDs and demand they reflect the big majority opinion in this country that we should take this opportunity to ban hare coursing.

The Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020 Dáil Debate Read Post »

Bill to Ban Hare Coursing. Paul Murphy TD.

Paul Murphy TD’s Hare Coursing Bill Aims to Ban Irish Hare Abuse

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Paul Murphy TD’s bill to ban hare coursing will be debated in the Dáil on Thursday, July 2.

The Animal Health & Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020, which aims to bring cruel hare coursing to an end in Ireland, is set for a Second Stage debate and vote.

Mr Murphy held a press conference in Dublin yesterday to highlight the upcoming debate. A number of representatives from Irish animal welfare organisations also attended,

Laura Broxson of the National Animal Rights Association NARA, and Aideen Yourell of the Irish Council Against Blood Sports ICABS and Conor Dowling of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals NSPCA, spoke at the conference to outline their organisation’s view on hare coursing.

Paul Murphy TD’s Hare Coursing Bill Aims to Ban Irish Hare Abuse Read Post »

Paul Murphy TD. Live Hare Coursing Bill.

Live Hare Coursing Bill Set for Dáil Debate

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Paul Murphy TD’s bill to ban hare coursing is due to return to Dáil Éireann next month, six years after it was introduced.

The Animal Health & Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020, which aims to finally bring cruel hare coursing to an end in Ireland, will be back on 2nd July 2026 for Second Stage debate and vote.

The bill – which was co-signed by Richard Boyd Barrett TD and then TDs Gino Kenny, Mick Barry, Brid Smith, Joan Collins and Catherine Connolly – was first introduced on 16 September 2020.

At the time, Deputy Murphy condemned coursing as “a cruel, barbaric and outdated practice”.

“It has been banned across Britain and Northern Ireland and across the entire EU, apart from three countries, including Ireland,” he stated.

Live Hare Coursing Bill Set for Dáil Debate Read Post »

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