31/05/2026
The department of agriculture and animal welfare do not belong in the same sentence. It’s just that simple.
There is never going to be any kind of animal welfare department in this country, because it would be in direct conflict with the department of agriculture. Live exports to countries where it is 💯 known by the government that the animals will face a most horrific death, aided by the department of agriculture. Fox hunting, aided, abetted and indirectly financed by the department of agriculture, religious slaughter allowed in this country, hare coursing, greyhound racing, badger snaring - the Irish government is a blood thirsty gang of ballygobackwards parish pump Neanderthals in very well paid jobs curtesy of the Irish people.
The majority of the people in this country want an end to blood ‘sports’. It has absolutely nothing to do with the claimed rural vs urban divide. That old chestnut is well rotted at this point.
Why does the Irish government pander to a very small minority of psychopaths? That’s the real question. What is in it for them? Therein lies the crux of the question.
POLITICAL FOCUS: Niall Collins TD (Fianna Fail, Limerick County) who has this week been appointed a Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture (with responsibility for forestry, horticulture and farm safety). The Department of Agriculture has responsibility for animal welfare legislation. Niall Collins is pro-bloodsports and earlier this year was photographed at a coursing meeting in Limerick where hares ran for their lives from dogs.
NIALL COLLINS TD AND ANIMAL CRUELTY ISSUES:
In June 2016, Niall Collins was among the 114 TDs who voted against Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan’s bill which sought to ban cruel hare coursing.
In 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021, voted in favour of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations which granted €80 million/€84 million/€84 million / €88 million of taxpayers’ money to horse and greyhound racing.
In Dail Eireann on 30 November 2022, Niall Collins TD voted in favour of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022 which channelled another €91 million of public funds into the two gambling activities (€72.8 million for Horse Racing Ireland and €18.2 million for Greyhound Racing Ireland). The grant for 2023 brought to €1.64 Billion the amount handed over to racing since 2001.
“Best wishes to Castleisland Coursing Club from Niall Collins, Fianna Fail TD” (Advert in the Castleisland Coursing Club booklet, January 2020.
Niall Collins TD appeared in a “Friends of Limerick Greyhound Stadium” list of individuals who contributed to the Irish St Leger greyhound race (published in the 2020 programme for the Irish St. Leger Final) https://issuu.com/gogreyhoundracing/docs/legersouvenirracecard2020_2_/26
“To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when greyhound racing can resume under the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business; and if he will make a statement on the matter.” Dail question from Niall Collins, 20 May 2020.
“To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when a [hare coursing] licence will be issued and if she will make a statement on the matter.” Dail Question from Niall Collins TD, 27 May 2020.
Niall Collins intervened on behalf of a disgruntled hunter to investigate why there was a delay in issuing him with a hunting licence. The pro-bloodsports Limerick TD considered the matter so important that he elevated it to Ministerial level. In a 22 September 2015 Dail Question aimed at Arts and Heritage Minister, Heather Humphreys, Collins asked “the reason for the delay in the issue of a deer hunting licence for a person in County Limerick; when it will be issued; and if she will make a statement on the matter.”
“…the Minister travelled around the country scaring people in fishing clubs, coursing clubs, shooting clubs and anybody else to whom he could talk.” Niall Collins during a debate on the Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011, 25 January 2012.
In a February 2012 Dail Question, Niall Collins asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht “his policy on hare coursing” and “his policy on stag hunting”.
In 2008, Deputy Niall Collins called on Environment Minister John Gormley to grant coursing licences as a matter of urgency. Quoted in the Irish Examiner of August 19, 2008, he said: “It stands to reason that once the licences have been granted the various coursing clubs and organisations can better plan when, where and how they will capture hares. This will help to ensure that the best possible care for the hares is provided and it will also give the various coursing clubs more certainty when it comes to planning their activities…I do not agree with the narrow view taken by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports on this issue, as they don’t understand and value the traditional and cultural elements of this greyhound sector.”
“In Opposition, the Taoiseach’s party and the Labour Party opposed the ban on the Ward Union stag hunt. Will the Government be introducing legislation to reverse the ban? If so, when?” from a Dail debate, 8 November 2011
“Fianna Fail TD Niall Collins believed that RISE was not a mass movement of rural interests but a ‘professional lobby group’ led by influential people who were involved in politics or are politically engaged. ‘RISE has succeeded in confusing the nation and causing upset and anxiety across all its rural pressure groups about the ban on stag hunting, even though it is clear from the Programme for Government that fox hunting, hare coursing, angling, shooting and all outdoor pursuits are all safe,’ said Collins.” Sunday Business Post, 4th July 2010.
“I was glad to welcome Richie Quinn to Dáil Éireann this week to observe the vote on coursing on behalf of the Limerick Coursing Clubs. The vote to ban coursing was defeated by 114 votes against to 20 votes for.” Niall Collins TD in a Facebook post, 1 July 2016.
“Like everybody who watched the programme [RTE Investigates: Greyhounds Running For Their Lives] I found it to be deeply shocking. Animal welfare is a core belief of the vast majority of people. Following the airing of the programme I received a deluge of phone calls and emails from people outraged at what they saw. I have also detected a huge change in the political support that greyhound racing has enjoyed over the years. The challenge to the Greyhound industry is plain and simple deal with these issues comprehensively or face a complete cut in the public funding that’s received each year. ” Statement from Niall Collins TD, 8 July 2019.
People reacted with disgust to a Facebook post by Fianna Fail TD Niall Collins about his support for another €96 million government grant to horse and greyhound racing. In the December 1st post, Deputy Collins included a graphic of a horse along with the message “Fianna Fail in government supports our horse and greyhound industries. Today we approved €96 million for 2021 to support investment, jobs and improved animal welfare. Greyhound – €19.2 million / Horses – €76.8 million.” Many of those who responded to the post expressed anger and disgust at the latest squandering of taxpayers’ money on the two gambling activities which have received more than one a quarter Billion euros of public funds since 2001. “Make no mistake – this is absolutely nothing to be proud about,” one person commented. “It disgusts me and many others that you are funding animal cruelty…There are so many better uses for that money.” Another described Deputy Collins’ post as “a political party shooting itself in the foot” https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/3689629337819264
In a 1st March 2022 Dail Question, Niall Collins TD asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine “the status of funding for a project (details supplied)”. Minister McConalogue told him that Greyhound Racing Ireland “made an application to my Department for approval of a grant of €1 million towards the redevelopment of Kilkenny Greyhound Stadium [and] this application is currently being considered by officials from my Department.” https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2022-03-01/865/
Speaking from a greyhound race meeting at Limerick track in April 2023, Niall Collins TD stated: “My message as a Fianna Fail TD is that we support greyhound racing. We support [hare] coursing. I’m happy to every year vote for funding which helps sustain this very vital industry right across every community in Ireland.” He went on to ridiculously claim that greyhound racing and hare coursing are “part of our culture, part of our heritage”, adding “as a Fianna Fail TD, I’m proud that we stand with greyhound and doggy people right across the country.” Responding to the video, Deel Animal Rescue commented: “We are horrified to see that local TD Niall Collins publicly supports the greyhound racing ‘industry’. We, as a rescue, take in 60 plus greyhounds every year – over 12,000 are bred in this country every year. 20 million euro of taxpayers’ money is sunk into this ‘sport’ every year. Shame on you Niall Collins.” https://x.com/banbloodsports/status/1656440477544067078
In a 17 July 2025 speech in Dail Eireann Niall Collins TD laughably claimed:. “I’ve always been a huge advocate of animal welfare” https://www.facebook.com/reel/1300154938192080
Niall Collins TD voted against a ban on cruel fox hunting on 17th December 2025. He was one of 124 TDs who shamefully rejected the Animal Health & Welfare (Ban On Fox Hunting) Bill 2025 https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2025/12/18/ban-fox-hunting-bill-shamefully-voted-down-in-dail-eireann-how-did-your-tds-vote/
Niall Collins TD shamefully attended Day 3 of the “Irish Cup” hare coursing meeting at Limerick Racecourse on 1 March 2026. A photograph published in the Weekly Observer newspaper (4th March 2026) showed him standing alongside pro-coursing Fine Gael councillor, Bobby O’Connell. https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/shame-on-cllr-bobby-oconnell-fine-gael-kerry-county-council-and-minister-niall-c/1246873220918611/
