I move:—
Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £27,829 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1938, chun Tuarastáil agus Costaisí i dtaobh Iascach Mara agus Intíre, maraon le hIldeontaisí-i-gCabhair.
That a sum not exceeding £27,829 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1938, for Salaries and Expenses in connection with Sea and Inland Fisheries, including sundry Grants-in-Aid.
This Estimate comprises four sections—Administration, Sea Fisheries, Inland Fisheries, and Sea Fisheries Association. The total of all four sections shows a net decrease of £300,226 as compared with the figures for the previous financial year. Administration is divided into four sub-heads, A, B, C and D. In sub-head A there is an increase of £1,057 over last year, which is explained partly by normal increments on salaries, and partly by the provision of two additional posts, namely, an assistant engineer and an assistant inspector of fisheries, the latter being really a revival of a post that had lain in abeyance for about three years. Sub-heads B and C show slight increases in view of additional travelling and other expenses which are anticipated. Sub-head D calls for no comment. It is right, however, that I should repeat a statement which I made 12 months ago, that in the event of rather extensive legislation dealing with our inland fisheries being enacted within the current financial year a certain measure of increased outlay upon administrative and technical staff will be inevitable.
Sea Fisheries.—This section deals with the purely administrative side, together with the protection service, and the provision set down in the Estimate is virtually the same as that for the preceding year, the total increase being only £22. There is not much to comment upon as regards the four sub-heads—E (1), E (2), E (3) and E (4)—which comprise this section, except in regard to E (3), which deals with protection work. Speaking on this point 12 months ago, I reminded Deputies that everyone was satisfied that effective control of our entire coastline by one cruiser was not possible, and at that time my Department was actively engaged upon arrangements for the chartering of a second vessel for this duty. Unfortunately, when we were ready to execute the charter, the owners of the vessel concerned changed their minds about hiring, with the result that we had to start all over again in our search for a suitable ship. Our requirements in the matter are rather exceptional, and it is not easy to find a vessel which fulfils them. I am glad, however, to be able to say that we have now practically completed negotiations, and, subject to the result of a final survey now to be made on our behalf, we hope to take over this second ship and have her in commission by an early date. At the time that the Estimate which we are now discussing was being framed, matters had not advanced sufficiently to justify the inclusion of any provision in respect of the second cruiser, but what I am now stating is by way of information to the House rather than a comment on the Estimate before us, because, naturally, this is a case in which I shall have to come later on with a Supplementary Estimate.
Inland Fisheries.—This section of the Estimate is made up of sub-heads F (1), F (2), F (3) and F (4), and is just £35 below the total figure for the preceding year. No change has been made in any one of the items except that in relation to grants for boards of conservators, which has been slightly reduced; that in respect of grants to local associations, which has been raised by £50; and that for Black Castle hatchery, which has dropped from £50 to £15. I have already on three occasions explained to the House all the implications of this section of the Estimate, and I do not think that there is any need to discuss the details again.
Sea Fisheries Association.—In this case I wish to offer a few special remarks. Under one of the rules of the association the duty devolves on the Minister in charge of the fishery service to satisfy himself that all moneys issued to the association, whether by way of repayable advance or as a grant-in-aid, are being utilised by that body strictly for the purposes for which such advances or grants had been made, and to the advantage of the sea fishing industry generally. That is to say, that while as large a measure as possible of autonomy is being accorded to the directors by whom the business of the association is managed, the Minister shall, from time to time, take stock, as it were, of the position. To that end I have set up a small inter-Departmental committee to survey generally the results of the association's operations during the six years in which it has been actively employed. Owing to the setting up of that committee, a departure was made from the normal procedure under which estimates of their requirements are furnished to, and discussed with, my Department by the directors of the association in respect of sub-heads G (1), G (2), G (3) and G (4) of this Vote. It was felt that, in the special circumstances, the best course would be to set down for the current financial year a round figure in each case, issues from which would be subject to consultation with the Minister for Finance, and which, furthermore, could be reviewed in the light of the report which will be furnished in due course by the special committee referred to.
This seems to me an appropriate point at which to advert to two matters that have been under discussion for the past few years. One relates to the absence of Continental markets for our cured herring. In that connection we had been strongly urged to do everything possible to have the German market for that commodity reopened to our people. Accordingly, when the trade agreement between the Saorstát and Germany was being discussed last autumn, special efforts were made to induce the German authorities to allocate a reasonable quota for cured herring of Saorstát origin. If our representatives were not as successful in this matter as we, and they, hoped might be the case, they at all events secured some results, and during the period April to July of this year, the German Government is providing import licences and currency facilities for some 15 or 16 importers in Hamburg and Stettin, with whom such of our exporters as are interested in the business are open to make their own arrangements. The names of these German importers have been circulated to all persons who are believed to be engaged in this trade, and a copy of the list will be sent to anyone else who chooses to ask for it. It is true that the total amount of the quota is small, but it is to be hoped that, if satisfactory deals take place in the present year, it may be possible to effect some improvement in the quantity that may be taken by Germany in future seasons. This statement, of course, is made with all due reserve, because we cannot anticipate the result of negotiations from year to year.
The other matter which has been greatly exercising those of our people who are concerned with it is the setting up of a plant for the cleansing of mussels prior to their export to British markets. On at least two previous occasions I have explained to the Dáil that until, as the result of inquiries and negotiations which had been set on foot in this case, we could be assured that mussels so treated here and exported under the certificate of the Sea Fisheries Association will be assured of entry into Great Britain, the Minister for Finance—not unreasonably I think— could not see his way to authorise the capital expenditure necessary in the matter. I quite realise that this question has been in abeyance for a long time, but I would counsel all who are affected by it to exercise some further patience, with the assurance that my Department is doing its best to find a way out of the difficulties confronting us.
There are just two more points of general interest upon which I wish to say a few words before I close. Following consideration by the Government of the report furnished by the commission set up to inquire into the position of our inland fisheries, legislation has now been rough-drafted departmentally. I had been hopeful of introducing such legislation during the present session, but I fear that, owing to the prolonged inter-Departmental negotiations which have arisen and certain complicated questions which have, as a result, come up for settlement before the Bill is put into final shape, it may not be possible to fulfil my intentions. In that event it will be necessary to have a short extension of the Fisheries Act, 1925, and of the Fisheries (Tidal Waters) Act, 1934, approved by the Dáil; but I should like to assure the House that, even should such a temporary expedient become essential, it will not be permitted to delay work upon the major Bill.
Finally, I should like to repeat in substance what I stated last year as to the existence of a good market in this country for the landings which might be made by a well-equipped and well-managed company engaged in deep sea trawling. Certain proposals have since then been presented to the Government; but in every case such proposals seem to entail a measure of State assistance, not to say of State interference with or control of the industry which, in my view, would in the ultimate tend to hinder rather than help the genuine commercial development of this business of deep sea fishing. It may be taken that the Government will be found to be favourably disposed towards any sound, workable scheme for the development of deep sea trawling.