Organisations representing more than 300,000 people involved in traditional rural field sports have come together to form a new national campaign called RISE! Rural Ireland Says Enough!

Legislative restrictions on our traditional field sports and rural life are increasing and several major threats are imminent. The Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009, proposed by the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government, will be debated in the Seanad tomorrow. The same Ministers Wildlife (Amendment) Bill, which includes a ban on stag hunting, is scheduled to be published between now and Easter.The Animal Health and Welfare Bill is being drafted by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

These proposals represent part of a wider, fundamentalist Green agenda that is anti-animal and anti-human.
Among the main RISE! campaign aims are:

• Hunt kennels run by voluntary hunt clubs solely for hunting, and not for commercial sale of pups, should be exempt from the terms of the proposed Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009 as was committed to by the Minister and two of his predecessors.
  
  
• The existing legal position in relation to the annual licensing of the Ward Union Hunt stag hunt should continue and the hunt should not be banned.
  
  
• here must be full consultation with all stakeholders before the proposed Animal Health and Welfare Bill is published or proceeded with and it should not be used to further restrict the enjoyment of traditional rural sports.
  
  
• Since animal rights is essentially an ethical issue of conscience there should be a free vote of all Deputies and Senators on any proposed law relating to a ban on stag hunting.

RISE ! will campaign at national, regional and local level to mobilise public and political opinion in support of our traditional field sports and rural pastimes. RISE! will mobilise the members and supporters of its supporting organisations to collect hundreds of thousands of signatures on a petition in defence of rural sports. There will be an extensive lobby of TDs, Senators and county councillors at local and national level, supported by a number of public campaign events.

A spokesperson for RISE! said: The imminent threats to hunt kennels and stag hunting are just the thin end of the wedge. If these go through, hunting of foxes and hares will be next in line, followed by gun clubs and angling.It is time to draw a clear line, to resist these threats and to promote our traditional rural way of life. Rural Ireland says 'Enough'!

The campaign was formed at a meeting of representatives of the sporting organisations held in Durrow, county Laois. The steering group of RISE! includes representatives of FACE Ireland, the Hunting Association of Ireland and the Ward Union Hunt Club. FACE is the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the European Union, a non-profit making, non-governmental organisation that has acted in the interests of over seven million European hunters since its foundation in 1977.

Further Information:

Liam Cahill (The Liam Cahill Consultancy)
01-8258188; 086-8174053; liamcahill@indigo.ie

Note for Editors

The following organisations have indicated their support for the RISE! Rural Ireland Says Enough! Campaign:

• Federation of European Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU (FACE Ireland)
  


• National Association of Regional Game Councils
  
  
• Irish Coursing Club
  
  
• Hunting Association of Ireland
  
  
• Irish Masters of Foxhounds Association
  
  
• Irish Masters of Harriers Association
  
  
• Irish Foot Harriers Association
  
  
• Irish Masters of Beagles Association
  
  
• Irish Masters of Minkhounds Association
  
  
• Ward Union Staghounds
  
  
• Irish Deer Society
  
  
• Irish Wild Deer Association
  
  
• Irish Hawking Club
  
  
• Irish Game Protection Association
  
  
• IFA Countryside
  
  
• Countryside Alliance Ireland
  
  
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