SINN Féin is yet to confirm if it will support an Alliance MLA’s proposal to ban fox hunting in Northern Ireland. It comes after Sinn Féin members voted to support a ban on fox hunting in Ireland at the party’s Ard Fheis last weekend.

The vote followed a heated debate at the event, where delegates rejected an initial motion for enhanced regulation for fox hunting. They then backed a motion proposing that Sinn Féin would “support a ban on the practice of fox hunting with dogs for the sole purpose of leisure, and mandates the party to engage with rural communities to ensure that such a ban is introduced in a way that does not unduly impact rural life”.

The party later said that its policy is “to prohibit fox hunting on horseback with hounds”, but there “are no other changes to our policies in relation to hunting or any other rural pursuits”.

Last December, a bill seeking to ban fox hunting in Ireland, proposed by People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger, was defeated in the Dáil.

At the time, 124 TDs, including Sinn Féin members voted against it, with 24 voting in favour of amending the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 to ban the hunting of a fox or foxes.

The Ard Fheis vote came days before the reintroduction of the Alliance MLA’s bill, which aims to ban hunting wild animals with dogs in Northern Ireland. It was first rejected by the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2021 when it was defeated by 45 votes to 38. At the time, Sinn Féin whipped its assembly members to vote against the legislation, saying it supported regulation over a complete ban.

Response

Sinn Fein’s Justice Spokesperson Matt Carthy spoke against supporting the ban, noting how “this has been driven - not by our voters - but by an active campaign that has been... working with outside pressure groups”.

“It’s not acceptable that this Ard Fheis’s clár was shared with those outside groups before members of this party had even seen it,” he added.

Those who spoke in favour of the ban included Dublin MEP Lynn Boylan and Kildare North TD Reada Cronin.

In response to the news, The Countryside Alliance said: “Sinn Féin’s abrupt reversal on fox hunting raises serious questions about whether the party still understands rural Ireland.

“For years, Sinn Féin had taken a more balanced and pragmatic position on the issue. Now, however, delegates have voted to support a ban on fox hunting with dogs ‘for the sole purpose of leisure’.

“That narrow wording exposes a deeper problem: fox hunting is not a leisure pastime in the simplistic way campaigners portray it. Across rural communities, hunting has long been connected to land management, pest control, horsemanship, dog breeding, social tradition, and local economies. Rural voters are entitled to ask what changed? Only a short time ago, Sinn Féin warned that blanket bans would alienate rural supporters and push lawful activity underground.

“This is about more than fox hunting. It is about whether rural communities are listened to, respected, and represented. Sinn Féin once appeared to understand that balance. Last weekend’s vote suggests it may be turning away from the very communities it once sought to champion.”