The charity says it believes allowing the practice to continue is incompatible with the animal welfare strategy published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in 2021.

Dr Cyril Sullivan, ISPCA CEO, said: “Ireland remains one of three countries in all of Europe that continues to allow legal hare coursing, which is shameful.

“It is well known that the capture and handling of wild animals causes distress, and inflicting unnecessary suffering on innocent Irish hares is totally unacceptable in modern society.

“During the 23/24 coursing season, more than 3,000 hares were captured from the wild and subjected to being coursed. Of those, over 100 were hit or tossed by dogs, more than 130 were pinned, and over 120 hares needed veterinary attention, with some dying or being euthanised, as a result of injuries sustained.

“Under the Wildlife Act 1976, the Irish hare is a protected species, making it illegal to hunt, kill, trap or sell them. There should be no hesitation in ending this appalling activity by putting a stop to issuing these licences. Ending hare coursing would be a progressive move and one that shows Ireland taking animal welfare seriously.”

The ISPCA has also called for a crackdown on illegal hare coursing with more funding for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).