FINE GAEL is to be targeted by the hunting fraternity over its failure to reverse the Ward Union stag-hunting ban.
The group Rise (Rural Ireland Says Enough) is to relaunch its campaign, and will announce its plans later today at Kinnitty Castle, Co Offaly, where hundreds of fieldsport fans will celebrate European Hunters Day to mark the feast day of hunting’s patron saint, St Hubert.
Des Crofton, national director of the National Association of Regional Game Councils, said Fine Gael had made a deal under which fieldsports people would vote for its candidates in exchange for reversing the Ward Union ban.
“We delivered our end of the bargain and Fine Gael must deliver its end now. Because no definitive action has been taken by the party to date to deliver on its promise, I have to announce that the fieldsports organisations have now relaunched the Rise campaign, but this time with Fine Gael in its sights,” said the leader of the national gunclubs organisation.
He said a meeting of the chiefs of all the organisations involved would be convened before the end of November in Dublin. The Taoiseach and several of his Ministers would be invited to address the issues of concern.
He said the celebration, which would be attended by representatives of the game councils association, the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU, and the Hunting Association of Ireland, would send a clear message to Fine Gael to deliver on a promise to reverse the Ward Union ban and sort out firearms licensing issues.
He said the hunters day was an informal and joyous celebration of a way of life of millions of people throughout Europe and in Ireland, where more than 300,000 are involved in fieldsports, one of the highest participation rates per capita in the EU.
The attractions planned include a display of horses and hounds by the local Ormond Hunt, and a falconry display by the Irish Hawking Club. Other hunting-related attractions will include a gun-dog display and a parade of all the hounds.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Shane McEntee, who had been very outspoken in his opposition to the banning of stag hunting by the Ward Union, is among those invited.
The Irish Council Against Blood Sports said it was deeply concerned at a statement from Mr McEntee that “the time is coming shortly when the Ward Union will be back under the legislation introduced by Michael D Higgins in 1996”.
It said his remarks were made during a Seanad debate on the Greyhound Welfare Bill on October 25th, and it called on the Labour Party to prevent this happening.
“It would be an utterly shameful move for Fine Gael to reverse the widely welcomed ban on the Ward Union deer hunt.
“Ireland’s record in legislating against cruelty to animals is dismal, and were it not for the Green Party, a ban on the Ward Union would not have been achieved,” the council added.