Farmers tell Stormont hunting with dogs Bill is unworkable

Northern Ireland’s proposed Hunting with Dogs Bill is “fundamentally unworkable”, the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) told MLAs on 8 October, warning that it would leave farmers and landowners exposed to legal uncertainty in the day-to-day management of their land. The union’s evidence to the Assembly’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (AERA) Committee follows BASC’s warning to the same committee three days earlier.

What did the union tell the committee?

Deputy president Glenn Cuddy and policy officer Daniel Toft raised concerns over landowner liability, the scope of the Bill’s exemptions and how it would work in practice on farms that rely on dogs for pest control.

Mr Cuddy said: “The UFU’s position is based on the practical implications of this legislation for agriculture, and the ability for a landowner to make the choice for themselves. Farmers must retain control over their land, be able to protect their livestock and have access to effective pest control without facing unnecessary legal uncertainty.”

“As currently drafted, this Bill is fundamentally unworkable,” he added. “Its provisions could create serious practical and legal difficulties for farmers and landowners, potentially leaving them exposed to uncertainty and potential unintended consequences in the day-to-day management of their land and livestock.”

What is the union offering instead?

The UFU presented the committee with a strengthened memorandum of understanding drawn up with Countryside Alliance Ireland and the Northern Ireland Masters of Hounds Association, which it argues protects farmers who do not want hounds on their land as firmly as those who do.

“The strengthened MOU puts farmer choice and accountability at its core,” Mr Cuddy said. “It provides clear safeguards for agricultural land and farming operations while ensuring permission remains firmly with the farmer. It supports those who wish to allow this form of pest control on their land, whilst protects those who do not.”

How did the Bill reach this point?

The Bill would restrict hunting with dogs in Northern Ireland, the only part of the UK without such legislation. BASC told the committee on 5 October that the Bill is unworkable because of its implications for firearms holders, dog owners and landowners, and Assembly researchers have already found that its costs have never been assessed. The committee’s evidence sessions continue.

What happens next?

The AERA Committee is expected to hear further evidence before reporting on the Bill, and the UFU has asked it to give “proper consideration” to the strengthened MOU as an alternative way forward. Shooting Times will report the committee’s conclusions when they are published.