Statement by
Mary Wallace T.D.

In my 20 years in the Dail, I cannot recall a more difficult situation than the one that I now find myself in.  I have thought long and hard about the circumstances and impacts of this legislation, and for me, this is a very difficult judgement call.  I have made it abundantly clear that I oppose the legislation banning the WUH and have outlined my objections to this Bill before the House last Thursday. I am not going to re-iterate my arguments now, other than to assert that they are based on facts and not on ideology.  In fact since last October when this commitment appeared in the Programme for Government, I have worked tirelessly to lobby against this Bill proceeding in this form and I have sought a renewal of the 2010/2011 License for the Ward Union Hunt. This was not a big ask and one that Minister Gormley has within his gift to grant – I’m furious that the guillotine was applied in this manner.

• I object to the fact that I have to argue against legislation that is an ideological concession to our partners in Government. 
• I object to the fact that my community will suffer so that the Green Party can “tick a  box”. 
• I object to the fact that this legislation has been drafted with insufficient consultation. 
• I object to the fact that this legislation does nothing to address the serious challenges we face as a country but will in fact have a negative impact on the local economy in Meath.

But in all of this, my biggest objection is being put in a position where I must choose between legislation I oppose and a Government that I support – a Government that I believe is successfully leading us through the difficult national challenges that this country now faces.

I have decided, in the national interest not to be instrumental in the fall of this Government. Despite my strong objections to this Bill, I believe a General Election would be wrong for the country and indeed for my community.

For 20 years, I have represented my community to the best of my abilities and have been (and will continue to be) judged on that basis. My decision today is not a populist one – a more cynical approach might be to put my own electoral agenda ahead of the needs of the country.

But I want to say this, I will not tolerate any further meddling with the needs of my community be it urban or rural. Tough decisions can and probably will be made as we chart our way out of this economic downturn. These are economic decisions that have a purpose and are a response to dealing with the downturn. But never again will I support an ideological sop to our minority partners, the Green Party, who blatantly don’t understand the realities of rural life.

End.