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The Saker
A bird's eye view of the vineyard

offsite link Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb

offsite link The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog.? We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).?

offsite link What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are

offsite link Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
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The Saker >>

Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

Human Rights in Ireland
Promoting Human Rights in Ireland

Human Rights in Ireland >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link Merz Once Promised to Cut AfD Support in Half. He Has Doubled it Instead Tue Apr 22, 2025 19:00 | Eugyppius
When incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz first ran to be party chairman he pledged to cut the AfD's support in half. Seven years later he has doubled it instead, says Eugyppius.
The post Merz Once Promised to Cut AfD Support in Half. He Has Doubled it Instead appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Reeves Cannot Blame Trump for British Growth Downgrade, Says IMF Tue Apr 22, 2025 17:23 | Will Jones
Rachel Reeves cannot blame Donald Trump's trade war for the downgrade in the UK's growth prospects, the IMF has said, as it warns that Britain's inflation rate will be higher than in the US.
The post Reeves Cannot Blame Trump for British Growth Downgrade, Says IMF appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Climate Adviser Racks Up 40,000 Air Miles While Backing Tax on Frequent Flyers Tue Apr 22, 2025 15:11 | Will Jones
A Government climate adviser ? a member of the Climate Change Committee, no less ? who backed a tax on frequent flyers has racked up 40,000 air miles in a year by jetting to environmental conferences.
The post Climate Adviser Racks Up 40,000 Air Miles While Backing Tax on Frequent Flyers appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Migrant Crime League Tables to be Published Tue Apr 22, 2025 13:00 | Will Jones
The nationalities of migrants with the highest rates of crime will be revealed in official?league tables?for the first time under plans due to be announced by the Government today.
The post Migrant Crime League Tables to be Published appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Net Zero is the New Brexit Tue Apr 22, 2025 11:10 | Will Jones
Net Zero is the new Brexit, "where Parliament is so hopelessly out of touch with the country", Nigel Farage has said. Michael Deacon agrees: as people realise the true cost of eco-zealotry they are turning against it.
The post Net Zero is the New Brexit appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

FOI reports show Minister let hare coursing clubs off the hook despite clear evidence of license violations

category international | environment | press release author Thursday April 30, 2015 18:57author by Animal Protection Ireland Report this post to the editors

Another blow to battered "credibility" of Ireland's shamed hare coursing fraternity...

Irish animal protection groups are shocked to learn from FOI reports that the National Parks & Wildlife Service, following "discussions" with Arts & Heritage Minister Heather Humphreys, decided not to sanction two coursing clubs for clear breaches of license conditions that supposedly apply to the holding of all coursing events, and that she gave them the green light to continue coursing hares during the 2014/15 season, despite what the NPWS officials referred to as the “seriousness of the incidents at these meetings”.
The controversial letter sent by Mallow Coursing Club to the NPWS
The controversial letter sent by Mallow Coursing Club to the NPWS

According to an internal NPWS memo, obtained by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports (ICABS) under FOI; "It was decided, given the seriousness of the incidents at these meetings, to impose sanctions on both clubs (Mallow and Liscannor) by way of a reduction in the number of competitive courses allowed by each club at their forthcoming meetings. However, following discussions with the Minister, it was decided that before the imposition of these sanctions, both clubs should be given the opportunity to provide assurances relating to future co-operation with Department officials..."

Another NPWS memo stated: “The main issues of concern reported by the Conservation Ranger at the Liscannor meeting on 28 and 29 September 2013 was the refusal of club officials to allow access to the paddock area (where hares are kept) and subsequent intimidation and verbal abuse of the conservation ranger”.

The same internal NPWS memo refers to Mallow Coursing Club, stating that there was lack of cooperation with the conservation ranger and discrepancies relating to the release of hares, plus a claim by the club that the conservation ranger was present at releases when in fact this was not the case.

Another FOI document reveals that an official of Mallow Coursing Club sent a somewhat arrogant and less than apologetic letter to the National Parks & Wildlife Assistant Principal, challenging the conservation ranger’s report, i.e. claiming that she did not turn up to oversee the release of the hares, while in fact it was the coursing club officials who failed to turn up at the appointed time, refusing to give their contact phone numbers to the ranger, claiming they didn’t have mobile phones.

The letter (see scanned copy with this article) said: “As regards the threatened sanctions, our two local TDs Sean Sherlock and Tom Barry have been made aware of the situation.” They further stated that the two TDs were “well aware that the Mallow club at all times abide by the rules”.

This letter can be offered as yet further evidence of the deference shown by politicians to hare coursing clubs, even when the clubs breach their own woefully inadequate “rules” and the equally pathetic NPWS license conditions that are supposed to afford the hares some measure of protection when they are used for animal baiting purposes in coursing.

The NPWS had also recommended that Liscannor coursing club would have one third of the usual number of hare courses reduced but, again after "discussions with the Minister", no sanction was applied to Liscannor Coursing Club. The Minister instead accepted assurances from Mallow and Liscannor coursing clubs that they would not re-offend in future coursing seasons.

Her handling of the issue (license breaches by coursing clubs) is extremely disappointing given her insistence in response to Dail questions that breaches of the hare coursing license conditions would not be tolerated.

For animal protection and conservation groups, it confirms that the conditions attached to the hare coursing license are practically worthless and that is the coursing clubs that hold sway over the Minister and other politicians. We hope that our politicians will eventually break free from the vice-like grip in which the coursing clubs appear to hold them. The letter from Jackie Murphy is a reminder of why this blood sport continues to be legal in Ireland despite all the evidence of cruelty and violations of the Wildlife Act.

Here, again, is video footage showing what coursing clubs and some lynchpins of the political establishment consider “sport”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLRkXOvbUPNNiGTsXVvy...rL0rA

Related Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLRkXOvbUPNNiGTsXVvyZdECvNZfKcdNzB&v=4LrFGNrL0rA
author by Save the Irish Harepublication date Thu Apr 30, 2015 19:17author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Yet another nail in the coffin of hare coursing in Ireland. Maybe politicians will soon get around to listening to the majority of Irish people who want this blood sport banned.

Tireless campaigner Clare Daly TD with anti hare coursing protesters...
Tireless campaigner Clare Daly TD with anti hare coursing protesters...

Another subjected to pointless injury for the amusement of gamblers and sight seers
Another subjected to pointless injury for the amusement of gamblers and sight seers

Objecting to hare coursing cruelty...
Objecting to hare coursing cruelty...

Related Link: http://www.banbloodsports.com
 
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