The Irish Council Against Blood Sports yesterday called on the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, to set up an inquiry into hunting in Ireland.
Pending the outcome of that inquiry, said the council, the Minister should outlaw as a matter of urgency the practice of digging out and killing young foxes to train hounds.
The ICABS used the occasion of the Kerrygold Horseshow to appeal to the Minister, reminding him that he described the practice of cub-hunting as "unacceptable" three years ago.
At the show, the Hunting Association of Ireland said such an inquiry was "not necessary but the organisation would have no objection to it".
Mr David Wilkinson, the spokesman for the organisation, said there was not even a public debate on the issue of a ban on fox-hunting here and most Irish people had a sensible and realistic philosophy on country life based on a sustainable attitude to things in the country generally.
He rejected claims by the council that hunting in Ireland was controlled by a powerful vested lobby and denied council suggestions that hunters were "arrogant bullyboys".
Journalists at the ICABS press conference in Jurys Hotel were shown videos of fox cubs being dug out from underground, a stag being recaptured after a hunt in the Ward Union.
Ms Aideen Yourell, of the council, said it was time to stop animals being hunted for pleasure in Ireland. It was time for Irish people to come into the new millennium.
The council was demanding an end to fox, stag and otter hunting, which was still being carried on under the guise of mink hunting by packs of hounds in Cork.
The code of practice drawn up by the Hunting Association placed no restriction on the digging out of cubs or the blocking of earths to prevent foxes going underground.
The Independent TD, Mr Tony Gregory, told the press conference there were many supporters of a ban on hunting among all parties in the Dail but many rural deputies feared opposing hunts and other clubs in their areas.
He said powerful vested interests in Ireland ran hunting, but he said the ban on hunting in Britain would be good for wildlife here because the so-called sport would come under greater scrutiny here.
Ms Yourell called on the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to say whether the deer hunted by the Ward Union in north Co Dublin were domestic or wild animals.
Ms de Valera, she said, should reveal the advice given to her by the Attorney General on this issue.
She said otters were still being hunted in Cork under the guise of mink hunting. They were being disturbed and hunted with impunity.
Two farmers told the press conference of trespass and damage to property by hunts. They said other farmers suffered the same damage but did not speak out.
Replying to the criticisms, Mr Wilkinson said the code of practice was in place to give the fox "fair advantage". Farmers had the right to ask hunts to dig out foxes and kill them.
He said the question of trespass had been addressed in the Occupiers Liability Act amendments in recent years and there was no demand from the farm organisations for change.
The ICABS said yesterday that one of its leading members, Mr John Tierney, who was the wildlife research officer, had stepped down from the organisation.