asked the Minister for the Marine the role he envisages for local groups in the development of angling as a major tourist attraction; and the way in which such groups should be funded.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Development of Angling.
34.
I am satisfied that the considerable tourism value of our angling resource can best be maximised in the context of an overall programme for the proper management and development of inland fisheries. The active voluntary involvement and support of the local communities will be a key element of this programme.
To this end, I am examining proposals for new policy objectives for inland fisheries and, in particular, the means whereby local voluntary involvement and initiatives can be channelled to maximum effect and ensure the best use of available financial resources.
Would the Minister welcome the proposals by local groups as reported in the national newspapers to raise funds for local fishery developments and tourist angling developments? In view of his guarded welcome, would he consider the withdrawal of the statutory impediments to the well being of such a development?
You are some beauty.
In line with the Government's plan to develop our natural resources, we indicated that it was our intention to examine the structure of administration and financing of inland fisheries with a view to developing our inland fishery resource to its maximum potential. With that in mind last year on my appointment I and the Minister of State, Deputy P. Gallagher, undertook a series of meetings with various boards and the Central Fisheries Board which had been abolished by the previous Government without making any provision for their work or how the staff might be redeployed. We visited each regional fishery board, met representatives of the staff associations and got their views as to how best this could be done. One of the areas identified as being in need of fairly urgent attention was the financing of regional fisheries. The question was asked if it was desirable that we have a fishery service, which would manage, conserve and develop Ireland's inland fisheries to their maximum potential and, if we did require that service, how it would be paid for, and if it was reasonable to expect the taxpayer to meet the total bill for that kind of development. It was against that background that some of the recent measures were introduced to enable further financial support to back up the taxpayers' contribution to the development of our inland fisheries. I believe the policy objectives we are following will, in the long run, prove to be the most successful way of tackling the problems in our inland fisheries industry which at present and in the recent past has been in decline.
If angling and the angling tourist industry can be funded and run locally, surely this will result in considerable savings in administration costs for the Department, and will be in keeping with the Government's policy of decentralisation.
We keep very firmly in mind the need for a reduction in bureaucracy and minimising overlapping and waste of financial resources. In that regard, we would welcome any financial support from local communities which can go towards the overall development of this very magnificent resource. The new arrangements which I hope to put before the Government very shortly will indicate how it will be possible to undertake a programme of development of our inland fisheries resource while at the same time ensuring that we keep bureaucracy and administrative expenditure to the minimum.