Polls split on debate
HUNTING is always a major source of conflict and often generates heated and emotional debate, with both sides claiming to have the weight of public opinion on their side.
Two surveys were carried out recently which have completely conflicting results and do little to shed any light on the subject.
An opinion poll, carried out on behalf of the League Against Cruel Sports, found that around two in three people here want foxhunting banned. The survey found that nearly 70pc of the Irish public view foxhunting as cruel.
The poll, conducted by Millward Brown Ulster, took place between January 23 and February 3 this year and involved 978 face-to-face interviews at 62 randomly selected sampling points throughout the Republic of Ireland.
A total of 68pc of those surveyed expressed the view that foxhunting was cruel, with 64pc saying they wanted to see foxhunting banned in Ireland.
In total, 19pc thought hunting should remain legal while the remaining 16pc replied that they didn't know.
However, just a week after the results of that survey were published, a radio poll carried out on Cork's 96FM showed an overwhelming support for hunting.
The radio station received more than 12,000 votes in support of hunting, compared to just 147 votes in favour of a ban on hunting.
The poll followed a live debate between Philip Maher, Countryside Alliance Ireland (CAI) Director for Munster and the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS), on the topic of foxhunting in Ireland.
