{"id":24294,"date":"2021-12-06T09:06:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-06T14:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24294"},"modified":"2021-12-06T10:09:12","modified_gmt":"2021-12-06T15:09:12","slug":"stormont-to-debate-banning-hunting-with-dogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24294","title":{"rendered":"Stormont To Debate Banning Hunting With Dogs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The bill has been backed by the North’s animal welfare charity, the USPCA (PA)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stormont MLAs are set to debate whether to ban hunting with dogs in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The region remains the only part of the UK where hunting wild mammals with dogs is still permitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A private members bill brought by Alliance MLA John Blair aims to bring Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hunting with dogs has been banned in England, Scotland, and Wales since the early 2000s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bill will be open for debate on the floor of the Assembly on Monday after gaining significant support during a public consultation with nearly 80 per cent of the 18,000 respondents in favor of a ban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is understood to be the largest consultation response in Stormont\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bill has been backed by the Northern Ireland animal welfare charity, the USPCA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Blair said: \u201cNorthern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom without a ban on hunting with dogs, despite widespread public support to ban the practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is my intention in bringing forward my Private Member\u2019s Bill, to reform legislation on hunting wild mammals with dogs in Northern Ireland, and bring our legislation in line with that in England, Scotland and Wales where the practice has been illegal for close to 20 years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chief executive Brendan Mullan said the charity has been \u201cgreatly encouraged\u201d by the momentum around this bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe appetite of the public to end this cruel practice which causes unthinkable pain and suffering for innocent wild animals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt must be recognized that, now, with the bill being presented to the Assembly, we are coming to a pivotal juncture for animal welfare here in Northern Ireland, which will set the tone for our future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is a real opportunity here for the Assembly to put on record their commitment to enhancing animal welfare standards, and specifically on this occasion, introducing legislation which has been in place in other regions for nearly 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe arguments against banning hunting wild mammals with dogs are based on tradition and pest control however it is categorically clear that the cruelty involved in this activity far outweighs any supposed benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMoreover, the rationalization regarding pest control is tenuous at best as there is no evidence of this being the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn England for example, the ban has been in place for quite some time and an inquiry taken forward at Westminster has stated that the contribution of fox hunting is almost insignificant in terms of managing the fox population as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Mullan added: \u201cThis issue has been a key focus of the USPCA for a number of years, with our goal for the introduction of a ban outlined in our Animal Welfare Manifesto \u2018Addressing the Deficit\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMembers of the public have made their views on this barbaric \u2018sport\u2019 very clear, and we look forward to the Assembly\u2019s response which we hope will consign it to the pages of history for Northern Ireland. Killing defenseless wild mammals with dogs is sadistic and cruel and has no place in a compassionate society.\u201d<\/p>\n

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