The Irish Wildlife Trust has said Ireland is lagging behind the rest of Europe by not introducing a ban on fox hunting and hare coursing.
The trust is urging TDs to support changes to the Animal Welfare Bill, which would ban what it calls a "cruel practice".
The Bill will be debated in the Dáil today, as the Independent TDs Claire Daly and Maureen O'Sullivan push for Ireland to follow the UK and make hunting and coursing illegal.
The Campaigns Officer from the Irish Wildlife Trust, Pádraic Fogarty, has said Ireland should outlaw it.