Sinn Féin needs to take a stand on foxhunting.
That was the message being issued by Irish animal welfare organisations in advance of the party’s annual Ard Fheis which takes place at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, Co. Antrim, on April 24-25.
At this annual conference, delegates will debate two motions on foxhunting as part of process to update the party’s animal welfare policy.
The proposed Motion 28 calls on party delegates to support the continuation of the cruel bloodsport, i.e. that it is “regulated” but not banned while the proposed Motion 29 calls on the party to “support a ban on the practice of fox hunting with dogs for the sole purpose of leisure”, stating that “the hunting of foxes using dogs for the sole purpose of leisure is unavoidably cruel and by necessity inflicts terror, exhaustion, irrevocable injury, and death on the foxes involved”.
Motion 28 will be presented for discussion and vote on the first day of the Ard Fheis (Friday, 24th April). If delegates vote in favour, the following “ban fox hunting” motion (29) will automatically fail.
If motion 28 is rejected, a vote will then be taken on motion 29.
Sinn Fein TDs and local representatives are being lobbied to reject Motion 28 and vote in favour of Motion 29.
Dáil Vote on Foxhunting Bill
In December 2025, a Dáil vote on foxhunting – The Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Fox Hunting) Bill 2025 – was defeated when Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil, and Fine Gael imposed the party whip on their TDs. Ruth Coppinger’s People Before Profit-Solidarity TD has introduced the Bill which aimed to amend the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which contains an exemption for hunting.
The Bill, if enacted, would add a paragraph to Section 12 to “specify that fox hunting and related practices are banned and therefore cannot be considered as lawful hunting”. Trail hunting and the snaring and trapping of foxes would also be outlawed under this legislation.
A vote taken on the Bill saw 124 TDs vote against and 24 voting for the Bill.
Sinn Féin Foxhunting Position
Animal welfare groups were outraged at the position adopted by Sinn Féin on the Bill’s passage. Their view was that had the party voted for the proposed legislation it would brought a ban on foxhunting in Ireland a paw print nearer.
Sinn Féin delegates are facing an intense lobbying on the foxhunting issue and for them to support and pass Motion 29.
Delegates are being told by those who want Irish wildlife to be respected and protected that Sinn Féin must finally reflect public opinion and support a ban on this cruel colonial bloodsport.
Sinn Féis Ard Fheis: 24th/25 April 2026
Wording of motions 28 AND 29
Motion 28:
This Ard Fheis:
Acknowledges the existence of traditional rural occupations such as hunting;
Notes that hunting in Ireland dates back thousands of years with Irish Mythology and examples such as Cu Chulainn the “Hound of Ulster” being defined by their hunting roles in Celtic lore;
Recognises that there is a balance to be struck acknowledging the cultural, historical and societal importance of hunting and the need to have strong animal welfare standards;
Recalls the consultation with the party membership and structures on this topic undertaken in 2022 which found that approximately one third support a ban with two thirds supporting some form of regulation;
Notes that these type of issues have been successfully used to create a wedge between rural communities and left-wing parties all over the world, commends Sinn Féin for its efforts to strike the right balance by supporting and promoting alternatives to activities such as Fox Hunting while not endorsing wholesale bans which would alienate many rural supporters;
Commends the party, especially our rural representatives, who have articulated positions supporting rural communities, including farming and rural organisation, that have ensured that Sinn Féin is considered a credible, progressive alternative to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael across the regions;
Calls on Sinn Féin to maintain its sensible, pragmatic approach to these issues and to continue building party support so that we can deliver a government that will finally end the neglect of rural communities;
Believes that outright bans on fox hunting could have implications for biodiversity and protections for livestock and wildlife but agrees that such practices and pursuits should be strongly regulated, including limitations on the type of hunting permitted, and that alternatives such as drag hunting should be promoted and incentivised;
Calls for Sinn Féin to campaign for relevant Departments within the Executive and the Oireachtas to convene a Commission of experts and/or citizens assembly to allow all voices be heard in this debate. These experts must include rural pursuits organisations along with animal welfare groups;
Believes that this Assembly can examine and recommend appropriate policy responses regarding these rural pursuits.
Motion 29:
That this Ard Fheis Recognises;
Sinn Féin’s unwavering support for rural culture and traditions, the right of farmers to defend their livestock from predators such as foxes and dogs, and the need to protect hunting and fishing activities for the purpose of obtaining food or managing species populations;
The economic social and cultural importance of sports involving animals to the Irish nation as a whole, and that regulation can and does ensure the welfare of the animals in the vast majority of these sports;
Accepts;
That the hunting of foxes using dogs for the sole purpose of leisure is unavoidably cruel and by necessity inflicts terror, exhaustion, irrevocable injury, and death on the foxes involved;
That fox hunting is a legacy of British colonial rule and causes damage to crops and livestock of farmers whose land faces are trespassed by large numbers of horses and dogs;
The consistent evidence that fox hunting is rejected by the vast majority of people living in rural Ireland, with 74% of rural dwellers opposing fox hunting in a 2019 poll by Red C, and similar support for a ban across the Connacht-Ulster region of the 26 Counties (73%), Leinster (71%) and Munster (69%) in a 2025 survey by Ireland Thinks;
Commits;
To support a ban on the practice of fox hunting with dogs for the sole purpose of leisure, and mandates the party to engage with rural communities to ensure that such a ban is introduced in a way that does not unduly impact rural life.
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1905, and the party is dedicated to Irish unity and self-determination.
Visit:Sinn Féin
Get in Touch
If you have a tip for an animal welfare issue, an animal news article, a press release, or just want to just reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you. John Tierney, Animal News Ireland/Editor
Support animal journalism
Animal News Ireland (ANI) is an independent news site reporting on animal stories from around Ireland. Please support our work to be the voice of sentiment creatures.