I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 35 together.
Since the establishment of six pilot projects in late 1997 substantial funding has been made available to support catchment management projects as an important component in the management of key salmon rivers. New catchment management projects continue to be planned and initiated in each fisheries region while promotion of existing projects is ongoing. The position regarding expenditure on catchment management since 1998 is as follows: in 1998, £5000 was spent by the South-Western Fisheries Board on the development of the River Laune catchment management project. In 1999 £130,000 was made available to support the six pilot catchment management projects on the Vartry – County Wicklow – the Barrow, the Mulkear, the Laune, the Moy and the south Donegal catchment – Drouse-Lough Melvin-Pettigo.
In 2000 I allocated funding to the fisheries boards of almost £2 million for the promotion of catchment management for a range of projects. A sum of £1.48 million was spent in the regions on a partnership basis between the fisheries boards and angling community interests on a range of individual projects throughout the country. In addition, £369,000 was invested by the fisheries boards collectively to support the provision of geographical information systems which are essential tools for fisheries management and on a sustained public awareness campaign to promote greater stakeholder understanding and participation in catchment management. Based on the experience of the pilot projects the fisheries boards initiated a number of additional projects, including Blackwater, the Bandon and the Ballinahinch catchment in Galway.
This year to date I have allocated £1.5 million to support catchment management projects throughout the country. Of this funding, £800,000 has been allocated to central and regional fisheries boards, in respect of: the development of geographical information systems for fisheries management, the provision of technical assistance for catchment management projects regionally, and support for facilitation, consensus building, training and public awareness of catchment management.