Vol. 489 No. 7
148 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the outcome of the meeting recently held between his officials and members of the Trout Anglers Federation of Ireland; and the funding and cutbacks under the tourism angling measure proposed for the western lakes in County Mayo. [9563/98]
I met the Trout Anglers Federation of Ireland and other angling representatives from the west together with the Deputy and other interested colleagues on 1 April last to discuss the Western Lakes project. As I explained at the meeting, the application for a further tranche of funding for the Western Lakes Project under the tourism angling measure was being evaluated together with all project applications on hand by the TAM management committee in the context of a general review of the efficiency, effectiveness and value for money of expenditure under the tourism angling measure as a whole.
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the TAM management committee have now completed their review. I will announce today a further round of investment approvals for tourism angling projects right around the country, including the final phase of the Western Lakes project which will receive a further £800,000, bringing to £2 million the total EU and State investment in this important project to date. I am satisfied that this funding will enable the Western Regional Fisheries Board to complete all the key components of its development programme.
