OPINION: How can Minister Darragh O’Brien and Minister of State, Malcolm Noonan, express profound thoughts about wildlife conservation and how their political work is helping to create eagle flight paths in the sky when, at the same time, there is a printer-warm licence to kill hares after being approved, asks John Tierney, Campaigns Director with the Association of Hunt Saboteurs
The Janus-face of Irish politics is illustrated by the actions of Minister Darragh O’Brien and Minister of State, Malcolm Noonan.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) recently released 24 white-tailed eagle chicks around the country. Both ministers were present at locations to see these eagles take flight.
Journalists, television cameras and microphones were hogged by the ministers eager to say profound thoughts about wildlife conservation and how their political work is helping to create eagle flight paths in the sky.
Fair enough, but can we get an explanation as to why, in July, these two ministers issued a licence that permits the abuse of the Irish Hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus).
Picture: Valerie O’Sullivan
From the 11th August to the 29th of February 2024, hare coursers have the legal protection to inflict stress, injury and death on our only native lagomorph.
Both politicians were eyeless to the evidence presented to them that outlined how cruel hare coursing is and how it is impacting on the hare population.
By allowing another season of hare coursing both ministers are listening too closely to a minority lobby group.
In 2023, to say that hare coursing still operates tosses any holistic approach to conservation to the eco-bonfire.
Releasing eagle chicks might be a fluffy-wuffy press event but hares being hunted into nets, dragged from nets, manhandled and shoved into boxes, driven to be shushed into compounds, chased, walloped and crushed to death by greyhounds is bonus level animal cruelty.
It is an affront to conservation to have ministers viewing eagle chicks take flight while in their back pocket is a printer-warm licence to kill hares.
Two ministers with oversight of our heritage cannot join the biodiversity dots to realise that all wildlife regardless of their mode of movement need legislative protection.
To echo the maxim all political lives end in failure that is the fate awaiting these ministers.
A litany of failings: failure to protect Irish heritage, failure to eradicate a vicious activity that has been rendered illegal in more civilised countries and a failure to promote respect for all wildlife in this country.
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