ANALYSIS:The hunt row came as a surprise to many but it has serious implications for the Government, writes STEPHEN COLLINS
IT TOOK a night of old-fashioned high drama in the Dáil before the Green Party’s cherished ban on stag hunting was passed into legislation, but the episode has damaged the Government and further destabilised the Coalition.
Tipperary South Fianna Fáil TD Mattie McGrath was expelled from the parliamentary party for voting against the Bill, which means the party has now lost five of its Dáil members since the Coalition took office.
Just to add to the drama one Labour TD, Tommy Broughan, who is a long-term opponent of blood sports, absented himself from his party’s vote against the ban on stag hunting while Sinn Féin’s Arthur Morgan got himself expelled from the Dáil earlier in the day and so didn’t have to vote against the ban along with his Sinn Féin colleagues.
Another element in the mix was that a number of TDs were absent due to illness and Fine Gael withdrew two pairs before the final vote on the basis that if two Fianna Fáil TDs had abstained, they were freed from their obligation.
The scene in the Dáil chamber before the final vote was reminiscent of the 1980s as Fianna Fáil TDs surrounded McGrath and Christy O’Sullivan from Cork South West, who had both abstained earlier, and attempted to persuade them to vote for the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill.
A number of their colleagues, such as Mary Wallace from Meath, who had spoken against the Bill last week, joined in the heated discussion before the vote was taken.
In the event McGrath voted No and O’Sullivan voted Yes and the Bill was carried by 75 votes to 72.
Last night’s vote was only the first instalment with the vote on the Dog Breeding Establishments Bill to come next week. John Gormley made it clear yesterday that he is prepared to amend that Bill in an effort to convince wavering Fianna Fáil backbenchers to vote for it.
The sudden political squall over stag hunting and dog breeding came as a surprise to many people inside the political arena as well as outside it, but the row has serious implications for the future of the Coalition.
The controversy has not only exposed a fissure between Fianna Fáil and the Greens, it has also put a spotlight on internal tensions within Fianna Fáil which are beginning to bubble to the surface.
While the Fianna Fáil TDs who have spoken out against the measures to ban stag hunting and regulate dog breeding clearly feel strongly about the issues involved, they are motivated by a deeper sense of unease at what they regard is the undue influence of the Greens on Government policy.
For some of those involved, there is also an undercurrent of unhappiness about the leadership of Taoiseach Brian Cowen arising from the continued poor opinion poll ratings which point towards a massacre of sitting Fianna Fáil TDs at the next election.
The mood on the Fianna Fáil backbenches is that they have been pushed around for too long and they are simply not going to take any more. While they blame their woes on the Green agenda, it is probably more of a reflection of the pressure they have been under to support the Government’s draconian economic policies. It is easier to blame the Greens than to turn on the Taoiseach and hold him accountable for the mess the country is in.
Former junior minister Mary Wallace from Meath summed up the mood among the dissenting group of Fianna Fáil backbenchers by saying that whatever her views about the Bill she had decided not to be instrumental in the fall of the Government. “Despite my strong objections to this Bill, I believe a general election would be wrong for the country and indeed for my community,” said Wallace.
She added: “But never again will I support an ideological sop to our minority partners, the Green Party, who blatantly don’t understand the realities of rural life.”
Similar sentiments were expressed by Independents Michael Lowry and Jackie Healy-Rae; for them to vote against the Government is ominous. It is the first time the two TDs who have backed the Coalition all the way since 2007 have jumped ship.
While their defection was compensated for in the Dáil last night by the decision of Finian McGrath and Maureen O’Sullivan to vote for the stag hunting ban, the long-term consequences for the Coalition could be serious.
Lowry and Healy-Rae are shrewd constituency politicians and their decision to leave the comfort zone of backing the Government in the Dáil indicates that they are preparing the ground for the next election.
Lowry said people in rural Ireland were frustrated and angry at what he described as an attack on rural country pursuits and farming.
The Greens were baffled by the vehemence of the reaction to the two pieces of legislation and insist that there is no threat to other rural pursuits such as fishing, shooting and fox hunting.
The problem for them is that trust between the two parties has taken a hammering and with huge decisions to be made in the autumn about the budget it will become increasingly difficult to hold the Coalition together.
Impact of the Bill: tighter regulation
THE DOG Breeding Establishments Bill 2009 will regulate the operation of so-called “puppy farms”. Unregistered establishments will be prohibited.
Inspections:Vets from the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) will be allowed to accompany local authority vets when they inspect breeding establishments.
Fees:Registered dog-breeding establishments will be exempt from the ¤400 general dog licence fee, and IGB-registered trainers will be exempt from the ¤400 registration process fee.
Breeding:Dogs can have three litters over three years, subject to veterinary advice, as long as the animal has a maximum of six litters in its lifetime.
Export:The previously-signalled requirement of micro-chipping of all dogs by eight weeks old, or before they leave the establishment, is extended to 12 weeks.
Review:The legislation will be reviewed after 12 months to assess its impact on the greyhound industry. (Amendments proposed by Minister for the Environment John Gormley relate to concerns raised by Fianna Fáil backbenchers, the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) and Irish Coursing Club
The Bill: What's banned?
What is prohibited?The Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2010 will ban the practice of hunting carted red deer with a pack of hounds. It will affect the only licensed stag hunt in the country: the Ward Union Hunt in Co Meath. The commitment to outlaw the practice was contained in the renewed programme for government, agreed between Fianna Fáil and the Green Party last year.
What is allowed?Deer-stalking and drag hunting. Minister for the Environment John Gormley previously said the Bill would be amended to protect deer-stalkers, while another amendment would address an anomaly in another Act that could prevent hunters renewing gun licences.
Who are the Ward Union?Established in 1854, the Ward Union maintains a 150-strong herd of deer at a reservation at Greenpark, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath. The hunt also operates a fallen animal collection service for local farmers and livestock owners. Developer Mick Bailey is master of the Ward Union, which claims more than 200 current members.