Leader of Sinn Féin and TD for Dublin Central, Mary Lou McDonald
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk. With Aviva Insurance.
Later this hour, we're going to talk about the true cost of renovating your home to make it eco-friendly. We'll also be highlighting some of the great seafood that Ireland has to offer with three eminent producers from right across the country. You can WhatsApp us this morning. The number is 087 1400 106 or email clareburn at newstalk.com. I'm joined now in the studio by the leader of Sinn Féin and TD for Dublin Central, Mary Lou MacDonald. Good morning to you. Good morning. You're very welcome to the programme. Thank you. I'm going to start with what's on the front page of one of the newspapers this morning. This is the Mail. It's about hair coursing because people before profit have a hair coursing bill coming this week aimed at banning it.
And you aren't supporting it. Why is that?
because our position is to support strict regulation rather than a ban. And I should say, I saw that story this morning and I was at a little bit of a loss around it, to be honest with you. Well, because just to reassure your listeners, we are not obsessed with fox hunting or hare coursing. These are issues that have to be dealt with, that They are by no means to the foreground of Sinn Féin's political programme or our priorities or our concerns. We took a decision at our recent Ardash in support of a ban on fox hunting, but it was clear that it was a decision on that issue. As regards hair coursing, we support regulation. We are aware that these are sensitive issues for some. They have to be properly invigilated, regulated.
but we won't be supporting a ban. I think those proposing the ban need to consider if that happens, what are the consequences of it, including unintended consequences of perhaps driving some of this underground and beyond regulation, which I think would be a really bad outcome.
Because one of your councillors says in this voice note doing the rounds of the mail, say that they've heard that you gave him a positive response when he said there would be an attempt to reverse the party's support for the ban on coffee.
And that's why I'm saying I'm at a loss with this. I literally saw it on the front page. Not at all. No, no, no.
The reason why people think this is important is because it's about your positioning on the political spectrum.
What is Sinn Féin's position on hare coursing?
For some people, they say if you're aligned with the left, you would not be in favour of hair coursing. You would not be in favour of fox hunting.
Look, Clare, politics of the left is about equality. It's about standing up for working people. It's about ensuring that people have food in their belly, a roof over their head, decent work, decent wages. It's about ensuring that people have the opportunities that they're entitled to in an open and fair democratic society. And within politics of the left, you will have a variety of experiences, exposures and ideas online. on all manner of things. including these issues around rural pursuits. It's not a quintessential issue that decides your politics or typifies the politics of whether you are on the right or the left. We're Irish Republicans. We're the party of Irish reunification, which I hope we'll get to chat about today.
But just on the hair coursing, like we're one of only three EU countries that allows hair coursing. And it seems like a bizarre thing to support, to support hair coursing. Like what have you got?
But nothing at all, nothing at all at all. And it's not about supporting hair coursing. What's been asked here is, do you support a ban on this practice? Yes or no? I'm conscious, so far as I know, the big hair coursing meet in this jurisdiction happens in Clonmel annually. It attracts a huge crowd of people. um and my query is if there were to be a ban what happens uh next i think we are better this is my view we are better to have strict regulation i would like to see a move from so has terrified and ripped apart legally rather than well they're not the the the the dogs are now muzzled so nobody no no animal is ripped apart but they're
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