Ban against hunting with animals motion falls at Antrim and Newtownabbey Council

The motion was proposed by Glengormley Alderman Julian McGrath and seconded by party colleague Antrim Councillor Neil Kelly at a meeting of the council on Monday evening.

Ald McGrath asked the local authority to write to DAERA and the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (AERA) to express disappointment at the lack of legislative progression in the Northern Ireland Assembly on banning the hunting of mammals with dogs in what he described as a “barbaric practice”.

However, the motion was defeated by support for Glengormley Sinn Fein Cllr Michael Goodman’s amendment seeking further DAERA consultation.

Seconding the amendment, Glengormley DUP Ald Phillip Brett stated: “The council has a strong track record of tackling animal cruelty.”

Ald McGrath told the meeting: “A clear majority of people across the UK do not want animals ripped to shreds for the purpose of human enjoyment.”

Cllr Kelly stated:”This is a cruel practice and has to stop.”

Cllr Goodman said: “Sinn Fein is opposed to unnecessary suffering or cruelty to animals but we also understand the importance in many rural communities of activities such as hunting.

“I believe DAERA should initiate working on a public consultation.”

Rural campaigners said that the motion “serves no purpose in reality”.

Gary McCartney, director of Countryside Alliance Ireland, stated: “We are pleased this motion has failed to pass but, ultimately, it was a total waste of council time.

“It is staggering that after failing to get their anti-rural legislation passed at Stormont, Alliance Party local councillors are now attempting to clog up a local agenda with pointless motions that serve no purpose in reality. Council resources and time should clearly be spent on addressing pressing issues facing the residents of Antrim and Newtownabbey.

“In December, MLAs voted against John Blair’s bill, which would have outlawed hunting with hounds. The bill attracted significant opposition from countryside groups who argued it was ‘dangerous’, as it risked making all dog owners potential criminals in the event of a dog chasing a wild mammal.”

In a statement issued on social media after the meeting, Ald McGrath said:  “It’s cut and dry. No further consultation is needed. 18,000 people responded to John Blair MLA’s consultation ahead of the December vote in the Assembly. You either support fox hunting with dogs or you do not.”

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter