asked the Minister for Fisheries what proposals, if any, he envisages for acquiring salmon fisheries with a view to initiating a salmon fish farming programme.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Salmon Fish Farming.
2.
Legislation for the re-organisation of our inland fisheries and for the development of the various sectors of the industry is at present in preparation in my Department and contains provision for the acquisition of private fisheries where this is considered desirable.
In regard to this very important matter of salmon fish farming, is the Minister saying this legislation will come in early next year and, secondly, if and when it does come in, will he tell us if the Galway salmon weir serving all of Lough Corrib will be included in this salmon fish farm programme?
Part of that question is a separate one.
I shall have incorporated in this legislation a positive provision giving for the first time a right to the Minister for Fisheries to acquire, either by compulsion or agreement, Irish fisheries and that includes the type of fishery referred to by the Deputy. This is a very welcome improvement. It will enable such fisheries to be obtained by the State for the overall development of inland fisheries in co-operation with local voluntary angling interests. I hope to have this legislation published early in the new year.
Will this legislation contain provisions for the protection of the jobs of those employed at the moment by the various boards?
The main purpose of the legislation is to provide for an improved financing structure and improved terms of employment for the existing employees of the various boards of conservators, guaranteeing them permanence, superannuation and so on, so that, with an established staff structure and one central fisheries authority, with seven regional boards operating under that authority, one can have a more rational structure of inland fisheries as against the present one where you have 17 boards of conservators, elected under archaic rules, along with the Inland Fisheries, not co-ordinating or co-operating together.
The new structure will provide for what the Deputy envisages along with the other important improvement of getting a public appreciation of the work of such regional boards under the central fisheries board by reason of having a democratic voting system in which the voluntary angling interests will predominate.
It is all so easy.
Have the Minister and his Department got any information on which they could form an opinion as to what proportion of the private fisheries envisaged by the Minister for acquisition will have to be acquired compulsorily as distinct from by agreement?
That is very hypothetical. This matter will have to be proceeded with on an ad hoc basis. The legislation will be enabling legislation and then, as the proper fisheries come along, I envisage the Minister moving in and acquiring them, hopefully on a voluntary basis in most cases. This is not a matter one can plan as if one were sitting at a chessboard or something like that.
Of course not, but one does not give oneself power to do such things unless one can do them. Has the Minister any idea as to what proportion of the existing private fisheries will require him to exercise compulsory powers of acquisition?
I have certain ideas and Deputy Killilea was intelligent enough to refer to one of them.
He was probably told to do it.
Deputy Killilea referred to the Corrib salmon fisheries and the whole system of western lakes offers us a unique opportunity for rational and balanced development of inland fisheries of all kinds—salmon, sea trout and brown trout.
Has the Minister formed even a rough idea as to how much money will be involved in this acquisition, whether by agreement or by compulsion?
That is a question I could not answer at this stage.
The Minister is proposing to expend the people's money——
We can have all that out on the legislation. The Deputy's Government slept on the legislation for five years.
That is not true.
With regard to the development of the salmon farm programme, is the Minister aware of the highly successful pilot project in west Connemara, a joint venture between the ESB, Gaeltarra Éireann and the local co-operative and would it be his intention to promote this kind of arrangement in other parts of the country?
That is a very constructive question. The Deputy refers to Lettermullen where a very successful operation has been carried out in what is called mari-culture in relation to salmon, and the Salmon Research Trust are carrying out a similar development at Furness in County Mayo. The combined results of this experimentation are now coming to hand and we will be incorporating provisions in legislation to enable this type of development to go ahead.