asked the Minister for Lands and Fisheries whether he is aware that owing to the failure of this year's fishing around the Rosses (County Donegal) seaboard a very large amount of poverty with attendant hardship exists, and whether he will state what steps the Government propose to take to give much needed employment in this area during the winter months.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral—Answers. - Unemployment in Co. Donegal.
While the herring and salmon fishing on the Donegal coast during the past year has not been remunerative, I am not aware that any exceptional poverty exists in the Rosses in consequence. The year has been very favourable for agriculture upon which the Rosses mainly depends, and the harvest has been above the average. Herrings have unexpectedly appeared off the Rosses coast during the past fortnight, and in a few nights the local yawls at Burtonport and Kincasslagh have earned over eleven hundred pounds. The stormy weather of the past week has interrupted this fishing, but the herrings are reported to be still on the coast, and the fishermen are waiting improvement in the weather to resume operations. I am having inquiries made as to lands suitable for reclamation work in this district. Such schemes, if found feasible, will involve employment on road-making and fencing. The Land Commission has expended over £4,000 in the recent past on roads, drainage and reclamation of lands in the Lower Rosses. Some employment will be given in the Burtonport district on repairs to slips and other small marine works. Larger drainage schemes for this district are under consideration at the moment, but these, if they materialise, can be carried out only after the winter.
Is the Minister aware that poverty is more acute in that area this year than in an ordinary year, owing to the comparative failure of the fishing industry and to the fact that there were fewer labourers employed in Scotland than in an ordinary year? In view of the poverty that exists will the Minister be prepared to outline any scheme which he proposes to put into operation this winter, as it is work for the winter which the people are looking for.
It is not due to the failure of the fishing industry that that situation arose, as the people in the Rosses are not mainly dependent on fishing. They are mainly agriculturists and there has been a better harvest and crops have been better than usual, so that it would be an extraordinary thing if there had been unusual poverty in the Rosses this year.
Does the Minister know anything about agricultural prices?
May we take it that the Minister is not prepared to initiate any scheme this year?
I am not prepared to do anything more than has been mentioned in my answer.