asked the Minister for the Marine the number of annual licences under the Fisheries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1987, which have been purchased since 18 May 1988 for (a) trout angling, and (b) coarse fish angling.
17.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Fishing Licences.
1.
asked the Minister for the Marine the number of 21-day licences under Fisheries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1987, which have been purchased since 18 May 1988 for (a) trout angling, and (b) coarse fish angling.
28.
asked the Minister for the Marine the number of annual licences under the Fisheries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1987, which have been purchased between 1 January 1988 and 18 May 1988 for (a) trout fishing/angling, and (b) for coarse fish angling.
I propose to reply to Questions Nos. 1, 17 and 28 together.
The fisheries boards arrange for the sale of rod angling licences through a network of distributors throughout their regions. Precise details of sales etc., in 1988 will be supplied in accordance with established practice by the individual regional fisheries boards after the end of the angling season. Because of the widespread location of licence distributors it has not been the practice for the fisheries boards to make returns on the sales of licences etc., on an ongoing basis during the angling season.
The Deputy will, therefore, appreciate that I am not in a position to give the details he requires at this point.
Will the Minister say where the proceeds from such licences will be returned to, and if they are returned to the Minister's Department, has the Minister a global figure to cover the receipts in his Department up to the end of May?
I would make it clear, lest there be any misunderstandings, that the licence revenue is collected and kept by the local regional fisheries authorities. Under section 11 (6) (d) of the Fisheries Act, 1988, provision is made that the duties payable as regards licences shall be paid to the regional board. I would draw the Deputy's attention to the fact that apart from the licences he mentioned, there are other licences, commercial licences, eel fishery licences, and salmon licences from which revenue accrues directly to the fisheries boards at local level. The Department do not handle that money or have any responsibility for the way in which it is collected.
Can the Minister give any indication as to how the sales of these licences are proceeding?
The Deputy will be aware that these are early days in this matter, but from the inquiries we have made throughout the regions——
Half the year has gone.
(Interruptions.)
——sales of licences are buoyant and thousands have been sold.
Is the Minister aware of statements made on behalf of his Department and regional fisheries boards that a substantial number of the trout licences has been purchased? From what the Minister is saying are we to take it that those statements are absolutely inaccurate and that his Department have no idea as to the number, and that a very small number of licences have been bought to date? If that is true, what effect will that have on the Minister's projections with respect to revenue of £0.5 million from the sale of rod licences in 1988 upon which the Department's estimates are based?
We expect that the revenue from sales of licences this year will be in line with what we have anticipated. I am not responsible for statements issued by individual boards. Individual boards and their staff——
And yourself.
——have responsibilities in their areas and they have information available to them at first hand, because boards sell licences. They have numerous licence distributors in tourism offices, tackle dealers' shops, shops, hotels and guesthouses at this time. The information that the regional board people supply to me is that there are buoyant sales of licences and that they hope this will increase substantially as the season develops.
Is the Minister aware that in answer to a written question by me about four weeks ago, he gave me an estimated figure for my own region? In view of that, can be the Minister give an estimated figure for the entire country?
I pointed out at that time that this was a very tentative figure gathered from informal inquiries.
It gets more tentative each day.
The figure at that time gave an accurate reflection of the sales of licences. I pointed out to the Deputy in my reply that it was not the practice to collect and correlate this sort of information at this stage in the season. The requirement is that at the end of each season, around the end of September when the fishing season finishes, returns and licences that are unsold should be returned to the individual boards and then to the Department.
Could I have some clarification?
We would not be in a position to give details of the sales until after the end of the season.
Deputy Pat McCartan.
Did the Minister indicate that he was taking Question No. 23 with Question No. 1?
I understand that questions Nos. 1, 17 and 28 are being taken together.
Not question No. 23, which relates to offences and prosecutions?
We will leave that question until we come to it.
Would the Minister agree that the clear indications, whatever about statements issued, are that the licence take-up is not at all as expected and that it is extremely disappointing? Will the Minister now agree that there is time to review the operation of this legislation?
The take-up at this stage is along the lines anticipated.
Could the Minister say what that was?
Individual Deputies made the point in the House that as this was new legislation it would be some time before it would be fully operational. There was a general understanding that substantially more revenue would accrue from these licences if it were totally acceptable from the outset. There is no doubt about that.
A final question from Deputy Molloy.
Will the Minister inform the House as to what the Department estimate was, as the Minister has said that the take-up is along the lines estimated by the Department? Will the Minister inform the House as to what those estimates are for this time of year so that we will be able to understand the Minister's thinking in the matter? In view of the fact that so few licences have been purchased——
You are sayings that — it is not I.
Well, the Minister has not been able to give any other information. It is obvious that very few licences have been purchased. In view of that and the chaos that this whole licensing system has caused in the tourist angling industry, will the Minister at this stage agree that a mistake has been made and withdraw the rod licence——
Order, order Deputy Molloy. These are essentially statistical questions. I cannot permit Deputies to widen the scope of this question or to stray to matters appertaining to the sub judice.
(Interruptions.)
The Deputy must desist.
(Interruptions.)
Deputy McDowell, please.
In view of the absence——
(Interruptions.)
——of statistics and in view of the Minister's failure to give the House the statistics and in view of the obvious failure of the proposal, will the Minister admit that it has been a serious mistake and that it is causing chaos?
I must ask the Deputy to desist forthwith.
Put on your performance again.
This is essentially a statistical question. The Deputy is deliberately defying the Chair in respect of the ruling I have announced.
A Cheann Comhairle——
Deputy Avril Doyle. I am going on to another question after Deputy Avril Doyle has put a question.
I have a brief supplementary——
Go ahead.
I had called the lady, Deputy.
I understood that permission had been given. In relation to the response the Minister gave to my earlier question about the performance of the law generally, do I take it, for the purposes of the Official Report, that the Minister is happy with the way the law has been implemented and its performance to date?
I am satisfied that——
The Deputy is coming very close to the bone there.
(Interruptions.)
The Deputy will not circumvent my ruling.
I was mindful of the Chair's ruling. The Minister indicated earlier that the law was moving as his Department estimated.
These questions seek information by way of statistical matter only.
I merely wanted to——
I have called Deputy Doyle.
Would the Minister be in a position to provide the figures which have been asked for in these three questions within a week? As he was in a position a month ago to give figures to Deputy Nealon in relation to his particular question on his region, would the position now be that those figures would be revised upwards or downwards? The Minister made the point that the position had not changed.
The situation is improving day by day. There is nothing to compare them with because this licence came in this year for the first time. How can it be compared with last year?
How can the Minister judge when he has no way of judging?
Why is the Deputy showing such an interest now?
Where was the Deputy last December, did he not help to put the legislation through?
Let us have Question No. 2, please.
Deputy Molloy is trying to turn his back on it now, he is becoming more unpopular everyday.
Can the Minister supply the information within a week?
Deputy Daly rose.
I have called Question No. 2. The Chair will be obeyed by both sides of this House.