asked the Minister for Defence if, in view of the fact that the three-mile fishery limit around the coast is about to be extended to six miles, he will state what extra precautions he will take to protect these fishing limits.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Protection of Fishing Limits.
39.
I am examining the implications which an extension of the existing fishery limit would have in so far as protective measures are concerned.
The Minister admitted to me last week that he had only one corvette in commission. Will he now tell the House what steps he proposes to take to protect our fishery limits?
I do not think it would be suitable to say much more to the Deputy at the moment. It is under active consideration and I feel we may be able to increase the total number of personnel offering. We are considering certain steps at present.
It is not a matter of personnel; it is a matter of boats to send the men to sea.
That is not true. There are three boats.
Has the Minister any intention of purchasing new boats or what are called coastguard cutters? Does the Minister think that one corvette is enough to protect our Irish coast and fisheries?
The Deputy has got a wrong idea. The three boats are serviceable. I indicated last week that there was an insufficiency of personnel. That has reduced us to the position of operating one only. The other two boats are not, as he suggested, being "cannibalised" for parts.
Is it not true that we put to sea in those corvettes 25 years ago and that at that time they were not considered very suitable for the purpose for which they were bought and are certainly not suitable now? Does the Minister intend to buy alternative craft, because the personnel cannot swim out to deal with trawlers, and if he does, what does he propose to buy?
The answer to that question has been given. We have accepted the opinion of competent surveyors that these boats have a life, on the average, of about six years. Therefore I take it that replacements will not become a practical proposition, or at least an urgent problem for at least six years and it is quite possible at the end of the six years in a new survey, a further lease of life might be recommended again. A decision on the major question as to the type of boat which Irish conditions require will have to be made first; in other words, will we adopt the suggestion which is frequently made that we should concentrate exclusively on fishery protection boats? No such decision has yet been made. I take it that when a decision on that point has been made, the other points mentioned by the Deputies will come up for consideration.
Question No. 40.
Is it not very important that such a decision should be made when fisheries worth millions and millions of pounds are being robbed and plundered by an armada of foreign vessels off the southern coast and we are helpless? The Minister says the matter is under active consideration——
That is not a question.
Will the active consideration be as active as the consideration given by the Department in regard to the purchase of helicopters when it took about five and a half years to have them purchased?
I am concerned with Question No. 40.
I am concerned with the fisheries and——
I am not accepting the implication that our exclusive fishery waters are being robbed.
They are.
I do not accept that and the Deputy knows——
I will show the Minister photographs of these foreign trawlers.
——the biggest single incident was our failure or refusal to exclude the County Down fishermen from our waters.
This is the old hero of Fianna Fáil trying to bring in the Border. I am talking about Poles, Russians——
I am calling Question No. 40.
We were the only people who arrested the Russians.
One ship.