Countryside Alliance Ireland - love the countryside

Supporters of the RISE! campaign will hold a demo outside the Dáil from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm on Thursday, 8th July in opposition to the Dog Breeding Establishments Bill as currently presented.

With the Dáil due to debate the Dog Breeding Bill on Thursday, the RISE! Campaign has appealed to TDs to ensure that the Minister for the Environment honours his previous written commitments to grant a full exemption from the Dog Breeding Establishments Bill to hunt kennels ‘in view of the strict standards which apply to members of the Hunting Association of Ireland’.  

The call came last night following a meeting of all hunting and shooting associations at which great anger was expressed with Fianna Fáil for selling out hunting.

In a letter, dated 15th February 2008, from Minister Gormley to his Cabinet colleague Minister Dermot Ahern, Mr Gormley stated:  ‘it is my intention that groups affiliated to the HAI be granted an exemption from the requirements of the requlations.’   A similar letter, dated 9th January 2008, came from Minister Batt O’Keeffe where he cites the same commitment.  

Despite his many claims to the contrary, the Minister has never consulted about the Bill with the Hunting Association of Ireland or with the game shooting associations.   Instead, it is our conclusion that his policy on regulation of dog breeding is being driven by a tiny extreme minority in his party with links to the UK-based Animal Liberation Front.

RISE! has always supported the original principle of this legislation insofar as it is directed towards regulating commercial puppy ‘farming’.