The IFA countryside’s chair Conor O’Leary has urged TDs to come out against a private members' bill due to be moved before the Dáil by an opposition TD on Wednesday.

The bill is to be moved by People Before Profit-Solidarity TD and member of the Socialist Party Ruth Coppinger, who labelled fox hunts a “colonial tradition”.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that a whip will be imposed by Fianna Fáil to reject the bill - as Coppinger claimed that 16 or 17 Fianna Fáil TDs would back a ban on fox hunts.

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“The bill is problematic because it doesn’t take account of long-standing and regulated forms of fox control,” O’Leary said.

“These play an important role in protecting livestock, especially during lambing, and in many parts of the country, farmers rely on established, regulated practices to manage their farms.”

Organised events

The IFA said traditional foxhunts should be recognised as organised events strictly regulated by the Department of Agriculture.

“This country is renowned for horse riding and horse husbandry and our hunts play a key part in giving riders and young horses an opportunity in their locality to develop their jumping and riding skills,” O’Leary added.

“Hunts are a vital social outlet for some in the rural community who follow them. At a time when rural isolation is an issue, this should not be discounted just because hunting is a minority activity.”

The IFA statement follows the National Association of Regional Game Councils’ (NARGC) welcome that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Sinn Féin will not back the bill when it is put before the Dáil.

“A total ban on fox hunting would strip rural Ireland of vital predator-control tools, endanger livestock, and accelerate the decline of our most vulnerable ground-nesting bird species,” the NARGC’s chairman Dan Curley said.

“This bill is not about animal welfare - it is an attack on farmers, conservationists, and rural communities. We urge all TDs to stand with rural Ireland and vote against it next Thursday.”