LABOUR councillors in Eamon Gilmore's home base last week voted in favour of a motion calling for stag hunting to be banned, in sharp contrast to the parliamentary party's controversial decision to vote against the government's bill banning stag hunting in the Dáil this Tuesday.

A motion calling on the Minister for the Environment John Gormley to honour his commitment to ban stag hunting was passed last Tuesday by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council – where the Labour leader once served as a councillor.

The result of the motion, brought forward by independent councillor Victor Boyhan, was seven in favour, four against and four abstentions.

Three Labour councillors were among those voting in favour, with two of the party's councillors voting against and two abstentions.

Labour's decision to oppose the stag hunting legislation has been described as "unfathomable" by Gormley who pointed out that a number of Labour TDs, including Gilmore, had previously publicly opposed stag hunting.

Independent Dublin North-Central TD Finian McGrath, who will vote with the government on the issue, yesterday accused the Labour party of "hypocrisy" on the issue. "I'll be telling all the animal lovers in Clontarf, Killester and Marino about the hypocrisy of Labour on blood sports," he said.

The government is confident that both the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill and Dog Breeding Establishments Bill will be passed over the next fortnight, despite a number of Fianna Fáil TDs expressing concerns about both bills.

Most, if not all, of the seven Fianna Fáil TDs who sharply criticised the Wildlife Bill in the Dáil last week are expected to vote with the government on Tuesday as the ban on stag hunting is part of the programme for government.

However, Tipperary South TD Mattie McGrath said yesterday he was undecided on how to vote on the two bills.

With independent TDs McGrath and Maureen O'Sullivan set to vote for the stag hunting ban, the government should comfortably come through Tuesday's vote.

The dog breeding bill has caused even more consternation within Fianna Fáil. The key votes on this bill will not be held until next week and the government is expected to move to shore up support for it among its TDs in the coming days.

Well-placed sources said that both pieces of legislation "will be fine" but admitted that the possibility of a couple of Fianna Fáil TDs breaking ranks could not be ruled out.

LABOUR councillors in Eamon Gilmore's home base last week voted in favour of a motion calling for stag hunting to be banned, in sharp contrast to the parliamentary party's controversial decision to vote against the government's bill banning stag hunting in the Dáil this Tuesday.

A motion calling on the Minister for the Environment John Gormley to honour his commitment to ban stag hunting was passed last Tuesday by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council – where the Labour leader once served as a councillor.

The result of the motion, brought forward by independent councillor Victor Boyhan, was seven in favour, four against and four abstentions.

Three Labour councillors were among those voting in favour, with two of the party's councillors voting against and two abstentions.

Labour's decision to oppose the stag hunting legislation has been described as "unfathomable" by Gormley who pointed out that a number of Labour TDs, including Gilmore, had previously publicly opposed stag hunting.

Independent Dublin North-Central TD Finian McGrath, who will vote with the government on the issue, yesterday accused the Labour party of "hypocrisy" on the issue. "I'll be telling all the animal lovers in Clontarf, Killester and Marino about the hypocrisy of Labour on blood sports," he said.

The government is confident that both the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill and Dog Breeding Establishments Bill will be passed over the next fortnight, despite a number of Fianna Fáil TDs expressing concerns about both bills.

Most, if not all, of the seven Fianna Fáil TDs who sharply criticised the Wildlife Bill in the Dáil last week are expected to vote with the government on Tuesday as the ban on stag hunting is part of the programme for government.

However, Tipperary South TD Mattie McGrath said yesterday he was undecided on how to vote on the two bills.

With independent TDs McGrath and Maureen O'Sullivan set to vote for the stag hunting ban, the government should comfortably come through Tuesday's vote.

The dog breeding bill has caused even more consternation within Fianna Fáil. The key votes on this bill will not be held until next week and the government is expected to move to shore up support for it among its TDs in the coming days.

Well-placed sources said that both pieces of legislation "will be fine" but admitted that the possibility of a couple of Fianna Fáil TDs breaking ranks could not be ruled out.