asked the Minister for Fisheries if he is aware that His Majesty by Order in Council dated 24th July, 1925, in virtue of the powers conferred on him by the Irish Free State (Consequential Provisions) Act, 1922, was pleased to order the Secretary of State to constitute under the Fisheries (Ireland) Acts, 1842 to 1921, the portions of such fishery districts situate in the territory of Northern Ireland as theretofore had been fishery districts, situated partly in Saorstát Eireann and partly in Northern Ireland, to be separate fishery districts, and if the Minister can state whether his Department had been advised prior to the Order in Council of the severance proposed, and if the boards of conservators affected had been consulted; further, to ask the Minister if an apportionment of the property and liabilities of such Boards of Conservators has been effected, and if he can state if any directions were given by his Department with a view thereto and the basis on which the division of assets and liabilities proceeded.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - ARRANGEMENT OF FISHERY DISTRICTS.
It is a fact, as stated in the question, that an Order in Council was issued on the 24th July, 1925, providing for the constitution in Northern Ireland of new fishery districts in place of those formerly existing of which a portion is now in An Saorstát.
My Department was aware that the splitting up of the districts referred to followed inevitably from the Treaty, and the boards of conservators of the districts were also aware of it.
The property of boards of conservators consists only of money collected by way of licence duties, rates and fines, and in some cases grants from the State, from year to year, which have to be expended on the protection of the fisheries in these districts.
Any attempt to ascertain precisely the amounts in the hands of the former boards at the date when they ceased to exist, or to provide for mutual debits and credits on this account between the Saorstát and Northern Ireland would require reciprocal legislation in the two countries.