Hunting move angers FF backbenchers

THE Green Party has riled up backbench Fianna Fáil TDs by pressing ahead with a controversial law to stop pack dogs hunting stags.

Environment Minster John Gormley brought the wildlife amendment legislation into the Dáil yesterday and faced down opposition from across the political divide and from the Government’s own ranks.

But he said there was no good argument for retaining the right to chase deer in this way for 50 meetings a year. “It is not acceptable to allow a hunt with hounds and horses of what is essentially a farm animal. We do not consider it acceptable to set dogs in pursuit of any other farmed animal.

“Furthermore, there are public safety issues, as it is simply not possible for the hunt to prevent deer in flight from leaping through hedges onto public roads,” he said.

However his argument did not find favour with opponents or protesters who gathered outside the Dáil last night.

Together they heaped pressure on the backbenchers who will be asked, and expected, to vote in favour of the bill next week.

Johnny Brady, the Fianna Fáil chair of the Agriculture committee, threatened his senior Government colleagues that his support could not be taken for granted.

He said the coalition with the Green Party would not last two weeks or two months if one more of the junior party’s policies were forced on Fianna Fáil’s backbenchers.

His colleague Mary Wallace said the banning of the country’s only stag hunt, the Ward Union, would cost her Meath constituency’s economy €1.2 million.

Fine Gael opposed the bill. Its environment spokesman, Phil Hogan, said the Minister’s commitment not to spread the agenda to other rural pursuits could not be believed.

However, Mr Gormley said his bill was a small focused measure on a particular type of hunting.

Mr Gormley said hunting domesticated stags with pack dogs was not the same as angling or hunting.

Mr Gormley was particularly scathing of the Labour Party for its decision not to support the bill.