In the absence of the President I move that Deputy Fionan Lynch be nominated Minister for Fisheries.
TUARASGABHAIL I DTAOBH CUR AMACH RITEACH I GCOIR BAILE ATHA CLIATH THEAS. - MINISTER FOR FISHERIES.
I beg to second that.
I do not know that I should go into details about this question. This is one of the Ministries that a vote was taken on, and a good deal of discussion has been raised here about the motion and as to why members of the Committee did not put up candidates or did not nominate men for the position. As I said earlier, as a matter of hard fact, the Committee did not know it was going to meet until half an hour before the actual time of the meeting, and then when the Committee had met, it did not know it was going to do any business until ten minutes before the nomination was made. So I think that point should not be laboured at all. With reference to this question of the Ministry of Fisheries——
It is the Minister for Fisheries.
I think our people cannot consent to an appointment at all unless with the addition of an Advisory Board. This is not like Agriculture. It is not like Trade and Commerce. It is not like any of the beaten tracks or departments that have been in existence and whose lines are definitely marked. The fishery industry is one of the things that is, practically speaking, unknown in this country or in the Dáil. I do not think we have an expert within the walls of this Assembly this evening, and we need an expert. If expert advice is going to be given us, if the money expended on this Ministry is going to be of any use at all, it can only be of any use by being intelligently applied. It can only be of any use when the two great questions in fisheries are going to take effect—when we have experts on propagation and protection.
Is the Deputy in order in discussing this matter on the motion before the Dáil?
I have the advantage of knowing what Deputy Gorey is going to say. He told me what he was going to say. I told him that the business of this Committee was to nominate somebody to be Minister for Fisheries, and the motion now is that Deputy Lynch be nominated. I think the point that he is now making would be applicable to any individual.
Yes.
I think that should be raised when the question of the creation or the continuance of a Ministry of Fisheries was under discussion. The question now is the fitness of the person nominated for this Ministry, and unless Deputy Gorey has something to say on that matter, he cannot, at this stage, discuss the question of a Board to assist a Minister.
If I propose an amendment that this particular name be not accepted, can I speak to that and can I use the argument I have been using?
I do not think so.
I am absolutely in your hands, I bow to your ruling.
Would it not be in order to discuss the question whether the Deputy named is capable without an Advisory Board to conduct this Department satisfactorily?
I understand from Deputy Gorey that nobody is capable of doing it without an Advisory Board, at least he has told me so, and I understood——
You need not understand anything from my remarks. Can I continue?
Not on this matter of an Advisory Board. That was relevant when this Ministry was being created.
It would be no harm to tell the Deputy that when the Ministries Bill comes up for consideration it will be open to him to raise the particular subject he wishes raised now. And that is whether we ought to have a Minister for Fisheries at all. I have intimated to my friends that if any Ministry was not continued we would expect that the Minister affected would retire. Under the Constitution he could hold on to the end of the period, but I think you may rely upon it that in the case of any of the four Deputies now nominated, should it be decided to abolish the Ministry to which any of them is assigned, the person so assigned will retire then.
I should like to say also that as I understand the nature of the criticism that has been made, it amounts to this: it is not against the Government but it is against the people for having returned the Government.
I have explained with great care that that is out of order.
I accept that.
On a point of personal explanation, I wish to say, with reference to the name put forward, that I have nothing at all personal against the Deputy. I believe the Deputy is as capable—or as incapable if you like —as anyone else in the Dáil, to fill the position, and in suggesting the appointment of an Advisory Committee I wish to say there was no reflection cast on the Deputy. He knows my view and he knows how intensely interested I am in this matter. I hope nobody thinks that there is anything personal in my remarks.
The Deputy will have other opportunities for making his point about an Advisory Board.
Motion agreed to.