MINISTER FOR the Environment John Gormley, who has issued a licence to the Ward Union Hunt club in Co Meath, remains opposed to stag hunting, his spokesman said.
The spokesman confirmed Mr Gormley had issued the licence, and said that refusing to issue it would require legislative change.
“As the legislation currently stands he does not have discretion on not issuing it . . . He is required to issue the licence in a certain timeframe on an annual basis in order to provide them with sufficient time to prepare for the hunt season,” he said.
“He has been outspoken and clear, both in Opposition and in Government, in his opposition to stag hunting but to refuse to issue it would require legislative change.”
Fine Gael TD Shane McEntee welcomed the move. Mr McEntee said the Ward Union Hunt and other hunts were a “vital component” of rural communities.
“I understand that a ban on stag hunting remains a key objective for the Green Party in its renegotiation of the Programme for Government. So I can only assume that Minister Gormley has had a change of heart on this matter,” he said.
