ALL going well, a new insurance policy to cover mounted hunting in Ireland is expected to be in place by mid-January.

As flagged up in last week’s issue, an insurance deal is on the table which would throw a lifeline to hunt clubs nationwide.

“It could be mid-January. We are very optimistic that we will have an insurance policy by then all going well. Things are looking up,” said chairman of the IMFHA, David Lalor, who has been involved in hunting for the last 60 years.

Key issues such as Employers’ Liability are currently being ironed out and it’s believed that the new cover won’t be any more expensive than what hunt clubs were already forking out.

In recent times, hunt insurance has risen three-fold and more for many clubs nationwide.

The IMFHA chairman estimated that there is as many as 150 people directly employed, full- and part-time, by their 50 affiliated hunt clubs while there are hundreds more jobs indirectly connected through ancillary services such as vets, farriers and feed merchants.

At present, some of the country’s best known mounted packs are on foot due to a lack of insurance cover while others still have existing cover in place.

The Government is currently reviewing the legislation governing the key areas of duty of care and the legal weight of signing waivers.