andMr. Fahey asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will prohibit the use of the monofilament drift net in the estuary of the Suir, which is at present causing severe hardship to the net fishermen of Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, and completely spoiling the fishing potential and tourist attraction of the entire Suir basin.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Monofilament Fishing Nets.
55.
A ban on the use of monofilament drift nets for salmon in all areas, as from 1st June next, is contained in bye-laws made earlier this year. The bye-laws being of an emergency character remain in force only up to the end of the present year. Meantime, I will have the whole question of the use of such nets examined, and public inquiries will be held which will afford the interested parties the opportunity of tendering any factual evidence on the subject that they are in a position to offer.
Is the Minister aware that since the salmon disease of the 1880s, salmon fishing on the Suir was never at a lower ebb?
I am not so aware, and I doubt if the Deputy is in a position so to assert.
Do we take it from the Minister's reply that he has made up his mind, that he is now giving a decision following the submissions that were made to him by a deputation received by him on last Thursday morning, when he said he would consider the points put to him?
As the Deputy knows, I indicated to that deputation what my view was. It was that the regulations should be allowed to continue. They should be allowed to come into force on 1st June and continue until the end of the present season. At that point of time, we would institute a series of public inquiries to establish a correct course for the future. As the Deputy also knows, I indicated to the deputation that a stay on the coming into operation of this ban was imposed from January until 1st June in response to representations made on behalf of these fishermen.
Can the Minister say under what Act of Parliament has he authority to make these bye-laws?
The position is the bye-laws were made to come into operation in January but the Parliamentary Secretary who had responsibility for Fisheries prior to my assuming that responsibility, in response to strong representations from fishermen, agreed to grant them this concession, that is, to postpone the operation of the regulations from January until 1st June. I am now simply permitting the regulations already made to come into operation on 1st June and to remain in operation until the end of the season, at which point the whole situation can be re-examined.
Can the Minister say from what Act of Parliament he gets power to make these bye-laws?
All the official statutes were consolidated in 1963.
The Minister is sure it is under that?
If it is not, it is not there at all.
I have not the information readily available.
The Minister certainly has power.
I imagine that it is from the consolidated Act that I derive my authority.
Would the Minister consider that his Department should make a regulation, and publish it on 27th January, affecting nets that have been purchased by the fishermen as late as the previous Christmas?
I am surprised that Deputy Corry should have cause for complaint because he raised this very matter with the Parliamentary Secretary who was in charge of Fisheries at the time and, as a result of the hardship case he made, this postponement from January to June was introduced.
I suggest there should be no necessity for Deputy Corry to come up to tell the Minister and his officials their business.
I suggest that is an ungracious attitude, to say the least, for Deputy Corry to adopt, considering his representations on behalf of these fishermen on the grounds of hardship were generously met by the Parliamentary Secretary.
56.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware of the hardship imposed on the fishermen in the south-east coast area by the restriction of monofilament nets; and if he will reconsider the request of the fishermen in that area to be received on a delegation by him so that he may be made fully conversant with the hardships that they have to face.
I received a deputation representing fishermen from the area referred to on 20th instant and discussed the situation with them.