A fresh bid to outlaw hunting with dogs in Northern Ireland is both “balanced” and will bring the region “into line with the rest of the UK”, Stormont has heard.
Background of the Bill
Alliance MLA John Blair previously proposed a Private Member’s Bill to ban hunting wild mammals with dogs, but in 2021 the Northern Ireland Assembly voted by 45 votes to 38 to reject it. He relaunched this bid in April, introducing another Private Member’s Bill which also proposes prohibiting trail hunting. On Tuesday, the Bill reached its second stage in the Assembly.
Blair's Argument
Mr Blair opened the debate by pointing out that Northern Ireland is currently the only part of the United Kingdom without such a ban. “England and Wales banned hunting with dogs more than 20 years ago, Scotland not only introduced a ban but in fact strengthened its legislation in 2023 through the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act, creating the most robust framework anywhere in the UK,” he told MLAs. “Yet here in Northern Ireland wild mammals can still be chased, exhausted, attacked and killed by packs of dogs for sport.”
He emphasised that the Bill “reflects changes made after engagement, consultation and further consideration”. “But what has not changed is the central fact at the heart of this debate, hunting wild mammals with dogs is cruel, unnecessary and a ban is long overdue,” he added. He described his Bill as taking a “balanced approach, targeting cruelty while preserving legitimate exemptions for lawful land management”.
Political Reactions
Robbie Butler, chairman of the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, said his party is “broadly supportive of the principles underpinning the Hunting with Dogs Bill”, but that support is “qualified by the need for robust scrutiny and clear legal certainty”. Sinn Fein MLA Aine Murphy indicated her party will back the Bill progressing to committee stage. Meanwhile, the DUP’s Tom Buchanan opposed the Bill, contending it is “legislatively weak, practically unworkable and fundamentally damaging to the rural people of Northern Ireland”.
Protests and Support
Members of Countryside Alliance Ireland staged a demonstration with dogs outside Parliament Buildings in opposition to the Bill. Director Gary McCartney claimed it is a “full-scale attack on not only hunting, but every aspect of rural life”. He argued that the Bill has “wide-ranging consequences” and will “dangerously impact all aspects of country life”. In contrast, the League Against Cruel Sports supported the Bill, with director Robbie Marsland stating it will bring the region into line with the rest of the UK and “make sure that the cruel and unnecessary pursuit of hunting with dogs is over for good”.
