Debate contribution: Hunting with Dogs Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Miss Áine Murphy on 26 May 2026.

MLA: Miss Áine Murphy
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 26 May 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Hunting with Dogs Bill: Second Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5582907

Text

At the outset, I declare an interest as a firearms licence holder for sporting purposes and vermin control. I know that related issues have been raised during the debate, so I want to get that on the record. Sinn Féin MLAs will support the Bill's progressing to Committee Stage, when it can be fully considered, scrutinised and, where necessary, strengthened. We support the protection of high animal welfare standards across the island of Ireland. In that context, we support the principle of a targeted ban on fox hunting with dogs for the purposes of leisure, as part of a broader approach to regulating hunting. The intention of the Bill is to tackle unnecessary cruelty to animals caused by hunting with dogs, and we support that objective. It is important to be clear that it is not an outright ban on hunting. The Bill includes important exemptions for hunting with dogs in circumstances such as, as has been referenced, protecting livestock and managing wildlife. Those exemptions are welcome, however we have concerns that, as currently drafted, they are not sufficient. More work will be needed to ensure that hunting with dogs can continue, where necessary, to effectively and practically protect livestock and manage wildlife populations. Protections for farmers to defend their livestock from predators must be clear and workable. Equally, exemptions relating to hunting for the purposes of obtaining food or managing species' populations must be robust and practical. As drafted, the provisions relating to hunting mammals with dogs, including the prohibition of terrier work, do not sufficiently account for the realities facing farmers or the practicalities of wildlife management. Removing the ability to properly flush out a mammal that will naturally retreat underground risks ignoring the real challenges of protecting livestock. It also fails to reflect fully the complexity of managing wildlife populations in rural areas. We are, however, willing to work constructively with the Bill's sponsor, and with colleagues from across the House, to strengthen the exemptions and make any necessary improvements at Committee Stage. We have concerns regarding the Bill's treatment of activities involving animal-based scents that do not involve the hunting of mammals, such as trail hunting. We should be exploring how alternatives to traditional hunting can be supported, such as trail hunting and drag hunting. That approach would recognise the social and cultural importance of those activities, which have been embedded in rural communities across Ireland for generations. We must also be mindful of unintended consequences, as was touched on by the Chair of the AERA Committee. For example, concerns were raised with most of us over the weekend about the criminalisation of dog walkers in rural areas whose dogs may unexpectedly break free from a leash and pursue a mammal. As the Bill moves through its Committee Stage, we will want to hear from all stakeholders, including animal welfare organisations, farming representatives, rural and countryside groups, legal experts and, of course, members of the public. That engagement will be vital to ensuring that we achieve the right balance in protecting animal welfare whilst recognising the practical realities of rural life.

515 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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