asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the fisheries research programme which will be undertaken by the Lough Beltra during 1986; and if he is aware of the financial curtailments which have been imposed on the operation of the research vessel.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Fisheries Research Programme.
3.
The research programme to be undertaken by the Lough Beltra in 1986 is at present under consideration. It is not yet possible to say precisely how much of the programme will be devoted to fisheries research. The Lough Beltra is, of course, a multi-purpose vessel. In recent years fisheries research has accounted for about 20 per cent of its programme.
I am, of course, aware of the reduction which it has been necessary to make in the grant-in-aid for the operation of the vessel in 1986.
The Minister will be aware that the National Board for Science and Technology who operate the Lough Beltra sought an allocation in the region of £200,000 to operate a realistic research programme for the coming year. The allocation of £84,000, a 60 per cent reduction on last year's allocation, is totally inadequate and means that the whole operation of the Lough Beltra and the research programme to be undertaken this year will be put in jeopardy. Is it possible at this stage to review this allocation with a view to increasing it substantially?
All State agencies make demands on Government. Unfortunately the allocation for the Lough Beltra has been substantially reduced. I should say, however, that the fisheries research programme for 1986 has not been decided. The services which the Lough Beltra offers to a number of institutions can be paid for by those institutions, so it does not necessarily mean that the Lough Beltra will be locked up during the course of this year.
It is highly unlikely that the universities, who use the research vessel to a very great extent, will be in a position to pay for the time required to undertake these programmes. The British and French authorities who carry out research programmes within our economic zone plan their projects three or four years in advance. This is a totally unsatisfactory situation. The boat will have to be laid up.
It is not in order for the Deputy to make speeches. He is commenting on replies but he can do that elsewhere—there is no better man to do so.
Will the Minister keep in mind that there are four or five highly skilled personnel involved in research on the Lough Beltra? It is likely that they will be forced to leave because there will not be full time employment for them. This will be a major loss since it may not be possible to get the team together again.
The Deputy may not continue to make statements. It is quite unreasonable.
The Minister will be aware from his experience in dealing with the Sellafield issue that the Lough Beltra is ideally suited to monitoring discharges into the Irish Sea. Any scheme involving research and monitoring in the Irish Sea would involve the Lough Beltra but it will now be tied up because the Government will not provide the money to operate it. Would the Minister give some indication of concern about this?
I share the Deputy's concern. I am disappointed that the allocation for the Lough Beltra has been reduced. The universities, institutions and the Nuclear Energy Board use the services of the Lough Beltra as they require and they can pay for those services from their own allocations, as they have done in the past. The Lough Beltra programme for 1985 was an excellent and comprehensive one. I hope it will not be affected during 1986 but I will bear the Deputy's concerns in mind. I do not wish to embark on the question of Sellafield though I could talk all day in that regard with certain knowledge and realism but if the Nuclear Energy Board require the Lough Beltra for their purposes the vessel will be available to them.
Can the Minister say——
I must move on to the next question because if the Deputy is allowed continue to make speeches we will not make any progress.
I merely wish to wind up this question.
I will allow one short question.
Bearing in mind that there are about 50 research vessels from foreign countries operating within our economic zone, surely we should be making additional finance available in respect of the Lough Beltra in the interest of monitoring what these other vessels are doing.
I will bear the Deputy's comments in mind. The general thrust of what he has said can be taken on board but there are mechanisms by which the institutions that the Lough Beltra serves can pay for those services.
There is a 60 per cent reduction in the allocation for this year compared with last year.