LETTER: Act of terrorism against wildlife

SIR – In her rise through the ‘glass ceiling’ of the political system Heather Humphreys, TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs, has perhaps received a bump on her head which is now affecting her moral judgement.

This might explain her reason for issuing a licence allow bloodsports clubs to net thousands of hares from the wild for use as live bait for greyhounds to chase at 87 coursing meetings around Ireland over a 29-week period (six months and 22 days).

The Minister has ignored appeals from Ireland and around the world and, not only licensed the cruelty once again, but allowed the coursers to start rounding up hares for their bloodsport a day earlier than last year’s licence allowed. In bowing the political knee, an act of heritage terrorism has been sanctioned against our wildlife; Ireland’s wildlife is a precious element of our heritage.

Every time wildlife is hunted down and killed for recreation by those who pollute the countryside with their callous and cruelty-addicted presence, a piece of our heritage is lost forever. It is to Ireland’s great shame that hare coursing is permitted to continue

with the blessing of the ‘Arts and Heritage’ Minister and the government.

Their lack of compassion and refusal to stop a bloodsport that is illegal in all our neighbouring jurisdictions condemns thousands of timid hares to another season of suffering.

Her rejection of compassion suggests that while the Minister may have broken the ‘glass ceiling,’ she clings to Stone Age thinking when it comes to the treatment of the non-human members of our society.

Yours,

John Tierney,

Campaigns Director,

Association of Hunt Saboteurs,

PO Box 4734,

Dublin 1.