asked the Minister for Fisheries to state at what time and in what manner his Department proposes to implement the scheme for the re-valuation of fishing boats supplied by the State since 1917, to which he publicly referred on the 28th February and later.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - RE-VALUATION OF FISHING BOATS.
The recasting of loans issued by the State to purchase large fishing vessels and their equipment between the years 1917 and 1923 has been approved in principle by the Executive Council, but the proposals will be submitted to this House for ratification in due course.
Can the Minister state at what time is a re-valuation of these boats likely to take place?
I do not know when exactly the Minister for Finance will be able to submit proposals to the House for ratification owing to the amount of financial business before us; but at any rate the fact that it has been agreed to in principle by the Executive Council has been take note of in my Department, and we are acting accordingly.
Is the Minister aware that those boats were valued at a time of peak prices, and as a result of the high valuations the people who got the boats are unable to repay the loans? There would be some prospect of getting repayment if the re-valuation takes place at an early date.
That is exactly why the Executive Council agreed with my proposition.
Will there be a report made on this matter before the dissolution?
The Minister for Finance will, I presume, bring the matter before the House prior to the dissolution in order to give effect to the recommendations made by me and which were agreed to by the Executive Council.
Are we to take it that it was a premature disclosure of a decision of the Executive Council when the Minister for Fisheries made a statement in this respect to a public meeting which was not made first to the House?
I did not catch the first portion of the Deputy's statement.