The threat posed to the National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel by a disease affecting rabbits and hares has been raised in the Dáil.
The emergence of rabbit haemorrhagic disease led to the suspension of coursing licences across the country in August.
The highly contagious disease is fatal to rabbits and hares but does not affect humans.
The National Coursing Meeting is worth up to €4 million to the local economy in Clonmel as it attracts large crowds from Ireland and the UK each year.
Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath highlighted the concerns of the coursing community in the Dáil chamber last evening.
He also questioned Minister Josepha Madigan’s impartiality on the whole issue of coursing.
Deputy McGrath was highly critical of the Cabinet’s general approach to coursing.
However Minister Madigan defended the decision to suspend coursing licences.
The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht also rejected assertions that she was anti-coursing.
For his part Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae has questioned why the Irish Coursing Club hasn’t been brought on board to help tackle the outbreak.
