O’Brien granted coursing licence despite warnings over virus risk

Darragh O’Brien ignored Green Party, fellow minister Malcolm Noonan and experts’ warnings about spread of deadly RHD2 virus in hare population

The Green Party had sought a ban on coursing in the programme for government, but were unable to get it included in the final document. Picture: Getty

A Fianna Fáil minister pushed ahead with a decision to grant a licence for hare coursing this autumn – despite a recommendation not to do so by the Green Party junior minister in his department.

Darragh O’Brien, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, issued a licence to the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) on September 16 for the netting and tagging of hares for use in the 2020-21 coursing season which was scheduled to ...