Vol. 410 No. 1
21 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the staffing level at the Fisheries Research Centre, Abbotstown, Dublin 11 is completely inadequate to deal with fish husbandry and disease control aspects of fish farming; and when sufficient laboratory facilities and funding will be supplied to protect and expand this important resource.
Fish husbandry and disease control measures are operated by the fish pathology unit of my Department's Fisheries Research Centre. When the unit was originally established it was staffed by one fish pathologist and three laboratory technicians. Since then a microbiologist has been assigned to the unit and an additional fish pathologist and laboratory technician will be assigned shortly.
I am conscious of the need to maintain the Fisheries Research Centre laboratories as up-to-date as national expenditure constraints will permit. In this regard I am happy to inform the Deputy that I submitted yesterday to the EC a programme under STRIDE, Science and Technology in Regional Innovation and Development in Europe, for the period 1991 to 1993 for marine activities. A positive response from the EC to this programme will deliver the necessary funding to ensure that the FRC laboratory enjoy state-of-the art equipment/facilities.
