Alliance MLA John Blair has described his fresh bid to outlaw hunting wild mammals with dogs in Northern Ireland as "balanced" and a move to bring the region "into line with the rest of the UK" during a Stormont debate.
Mr Blair previously proposed a Private Member's Bill on the issue, but in 2021 the Northern Ireland Assembly voted 45 to 38 to reject it. He relaunched the bid in April, introducing another Bill that also proposes prohibiting trail hunting. On Tuesday, the Bill reached its second stage in the Assembly.
Northern Ireland as the only UK region without a ban
Opening the debate, Mr Blair noted that Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK 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's terms have been "tried and tested in the rest of the UK" and that "the only people who need to worry about it are those who enjoy the cruelty of encouraging dogs to chase a wild mammal for the kill."
Balanced approach and public demand
Referring to his previous attempt, Mr Blair said the Bill "reflects changes made after engagement, consultation and further consideration." He added: "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 described his Bill as taking a "balanced approach, targeting cruelty while preserving legitimate exemptions for lawful land management." He said it "closes loopholes that have caused difficulty elsewhere, it aligns Northern Ireland with the direction of travel across the UK and it responds to clear public demand for change." Concluding, he stated: "It is time to stop allowing wild mammals to be chased and killed by packs of dogs in Northern Ireland. Bloodsports have no place in a modern civilised society."
Political reactions and committee stance
Robbie Butler, chairman of the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, said members did not take a position on the Bill's general principles but agreed to consider it further within their parties. The UUP representative indicated 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." He added: "We believe that there are legitimate questions which must be addressed to ensure that the lawful rural activities, responsible dog ownership and those who hunt for food are not unintentionally captured by overly broad drafting."
Sinn Fein MLA Aine Murphy signalled her party will back the Bill progressing to committee stage. In contrast, the DUP's Tom Buchanan opposed it, arguing it is "legislatively weak, practically unworkable and fundamentally damaging to the rural people of Northern Ireland." He stated: "This House has a duty to pass laws that are clear, that are proportionate, that are enforceable and grounded in evidence, and this Bill before the House today fails to meet each one of these tests."
Protests and support from campaign groups
Earlier, 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 said: "John Blair's unjustified and indiscriminate Bill has wide-ranging consequences and will dangerously impact all aspects of country life: from the mere act of walking a dog, to field sports and vital wildlife management. He is opting for a culture war against rural people with a full-scale attack on not only hunting, but every aspect of rural life."
McCartney added: "At a time when people are suffering from the cost-of-living crisis and spiralling energy bills, it defies all logic that any politician should deem this a priority for Northern Ireland. MLAs need to seriously consider whether they will support this unjustified and fundamentally flawed Bill that will have devastating effects on anyone in the countryside with dogs. We will be fighting this appalling piece of legislation to the very end."
The League Against Cruel Sports also attended at Stormont on Tuesday. Robbie Marsland, director for the organisation in Northern Ireland and Scotland, said it supports the Bill, which he said 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." He added: "The idea of encouraging a pack of hounds to chase and kill a wild animal is repugnant to 76-77% of the Northern Ireland, and that goes across town and country."
