Michael Healy Rae has pushed back against animal rights activists who want a ban on hare coursing in Ireland, saying the animals are "cared for" at sporting events.

The government has renewed licenses for coursing clubs to capture live hares for the winter season.

Spokesperson for Irish Council Against Blood Sports (ICABS) Aideen Yourell siad: "The issuing of a license for the snatching of timid defenseless hares out of the wild for use as live lures in front of greyhounds at coursing matches is absolutely barbaric in this day and age."

Live hare coursing is illegal in all parts of the United Kingdom.

Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Independent TD for Kerry Healy Rae said: "Very high standards are set and adhered to by the ICC [Irish Coursing Club]. All of the different clubs throughout the country operate to the highest of standards."

"There are vets present at all times. There are veterinarian inspections of the hares before and afterwards."

"High standards for cruelty"

Yourell described Healy Rae's comments as "ridiculous".

"No amount of high standards and the presence of vets is going to alleviate the terror and stress for hares that are released in front of two greyhounds."

"That's not going to change anything for the hare", she said. "High standards for cruelty - there's no such thing. It's ridiculous to say that."

"You'd stand there and you'd think to yourself: What year is this and what planet am I on?"

Yourell said she has seen coursing events where hares have been mauled.

"It is heart wrenching."

"You'd stand there and you'd think to yourself: What year is this and what planet am I on?"

Healy Rae said these situations are "exceptions".

"These are the realities of living."

"Slippery slope"

Healy Rae expressed concern for the hare population, which he said coursing helps maintain - "the reason being that hares are actually cared for and let back out into the wild in places where they will survive".

"If we go down the slippery slope of banning hare coursing, the next thing they would say is that all race courses should close down."

"The next thing they would say is we shouldn't produce animals for sport because we actually shouldn't produce animals to kill them to eat them."

Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews