Hunting with dogs is a ‘vicious and cruel’ practice

A STRABANE MLA who supported a bill at Stormont which would have banned hunting wild animals with dogs says the practice is ‘vicious and cruel’.

Daniel McCrossan backed the bill which came before the Assembly earlier this week. However Sinn Féin politicians sided with a number of DUP and TUV MLAs in voting down the private members bill on Monday.

The Alliance party’s John Blair brought forward the bill, claiming it was “long overdue” as England, Scotland and Wales have had similar bans in place since the early 2000s.

Daniel McCrossan, who was the only MLA in the constituency to support the ban, criticised Sinn Féin’s stance.

The SDLP representative told the Chronicle, “MLAs had an opportunity to finally introduce a ban on fox hunting. The vicious and cruel practice should have been outlawed already but I am shocked that Sinn Féin and most DUP MLAs, with some notable and honourable exceptions, teamed up in the Assembly to block new legislation that would have addressed this blood sport.

Cynical

“I am particularly surprised at Sinn Féin, given that their party President Mary Lou McDonald recently indicated that they would vote to ban fox hunting at the first available opportunity. Their actions are either a total policy reversal or a cynical attempt to hold two entirely different positions. That will come as no surprise to many,” he added.

Declan McAleer, Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on rural affairs, defended his party’s vote, saying they oppose “the unnecessary infliction of cruelty to animals”.

The West Tyrone MLA said, “Our party position – north and south – is that regulation, not a ban, is the best approach. However Sinn Féin believes the private members bill was unworkable, flawed and rushed and in the time we have left in this mandate amending it sufficiently was not possible.”