Deputies in speaking to the Estimate last night in a number of cases, I think, did not realise that the Book of Estimates was prepared, as is usual, in the autumn and had gone to the printers by Christmas. The war did not end until 1st May. That accounts for some of the criticism that we did not provide in the Estimates for certain post-war plans that I mentioned. As Deputies will realise, that does not prevent us from going on with any plans we may be able to formulate. As I explained, some of these plans depend on certain supplies, and I am not sure indeed if these supplies will be available during this financial year but, if they should be available, the matter can be regularised by bringing a Supplementary Estimate before the Dáil.
A question raised in that connection had regard to a more liberal supply of boats and nets. That would not come exactly within post-war plans; it would come within ordinary administration but, again, if boats and gear should become more plentiful than was anticipated when the Estimates were being prepared, we certainly will lose no opportunity in trying to get them.
Deputy McMenamin did not think that the sub-head, Whaling, was very serious. It is. As a matter of fact, how that arose in the beginning was that we, being a maritime country, joined with other maritime countries in a convention on whaling. We have never lost any money on it. During some of the years a number of foreign ships which went whaling registered in this country, and under the Bill that we brought in we were able to charge certain registration fees. We had, of course, to spend a certain amount of that money, but there was a small profit to be made out of it. I do not know if whaling will be revived during the coming year, or, if it is revived, whether any ships will register here or not, but, if they do, the country will certainly lose nothing by it.
The question of cutch was raised. There is a suitable substitute. I am informed that the fishermen for whom Deputy McMenamin speaks, are not very favourably disposed towards this substitute, but it can be got if they are anxious to use it.
The question of fish transport, of course, is a matter for the Department of Industry and Commerce, but as far as I am concerned, and as far as my Department is concerned, we are only too willing to help in every way possible. We were asked also why we did not proceed with certain powers that we were given under the 1939 Act, with regard to the taking over of weirs and estuarine fisheries. A lot of those activities in inland fisheries, and in many other departments were, of course, postponed for various reasons when the war came along. One reason was that the staffs of the Departments were very busy on emergency measures, and matters of this kind were put aside for the moment. Secondly, a large amount of money would have to be provided, and, as Deputies know, the Exchequer found it fairly hard to cope with emergency conditions without having matters of this kind brought in. Thirdly, we did not want to interfere in any way with the supply of food that was there. To take an example, if we were to abolish fresh-water netting, which we could have done under one of the powers given to us by that Act, there would be, temporarily, at any rate, a somewhat lower price of food, and we thought that the emergency period was not a good time to take on that kind of thing. Now that the war is over, and we may get back to normal conditions again, we hope to make some progress with regard to the powers given under the 1939 Act.
Deputy Cogan asked about disease in trout in the Valleymount area. The scientists have not come to any definite conclusion with regard to the cause. There is a number of theories, none of which has definitely been established yet. As I said in the beginning, the technical side of my Department are giving whatever help they can to the Electricity Supply Board in dealing with this matter, and it is possible I think that we may be able to do something about it. I do not think there is great danger of the spread of this trouble to other rivers or other lakes. I need hardly assure Deputies that we have always kept in touch with any scientific advances that were made in other countries, and will continue to take advantage of any progress in that way.
Deputy Kilroy spoke about the neglect of the fisheries in the West. He mentioned Clew Bay, and talked of the necessity for piers in that particular area. I was reminded of a quotation from a book written by George Bermingham, in which he said that Clew Bay has as many piers as a comb has teeth; so the plea that more piers are required does not appear capable of standing very much examination. Deputy Coburn expressed anxiety about the cost which would be involved in carrying out the very grandiose scheme of post-war planning. I think we can leave it to the two Departments concerned, that is my own Department and the Department of Finance, to see that there will not be any money foolishly spent. Deputy Corish spoke of the difficulty of getting boats and gear. There is a genuine difficulty. In fact, I do not think we can say that we have any boat to spare at the moment, and the amount of gear is very limited, but if there is any genuine grievance I will certainly have it examined, and will see that whatever we have will be distributed as equitably as possible.
Deputy Bartley spoke of regional marketing. There may be a good deal in that point. Anything that would help to prevent the transport of fish, say, from Galway to Dublin and from Dublin back to Galway again, should be investigated very closely. Whether it will be possible, as Deputy Bartley recommends, to have a regular and a level price for fish landed at the various centres all over the country is a question I cannot answer at the moment, but we should aim as far as possible at a scheme of that kind. As the debate went on, I think there was some confusion with regard to what I said about a trawler service. What I said was that the inshore fishermen themselves could never give us a regular supply of fish of fair variety, and that it would be necessary to have a trawler service to supply certain types of fish at all times throughout the year. Some Deputies, perhaps, as a result of listening to one another, seemed to have the idea that I said those trawlers would be stationed all around the coast. That is not the intention. The intention is that a trawler company should be got going somehow or other, and that it should operate, as a trawler company would operate, going to places where the fish is to be got, and especially the fish that might be required at a particular time. I do not think that the number could be very definitely decided upon at the moment. Deputies mentioned ten to 12 trawlers. Probably that is too many. I think if we were to start with four good trawlers, and make a trial, we might find that it would not be necessary to go to ten or 12. It might be necessary to go as high as six or seven.
Deputy Bartley also asked when this Bill, which I mentioned on more than one occasion, to deal with the powers and constitution of boards of conservators would be brought in. Well, the intention was to have all such matters considered when the Consolidation Bill is brought before the Dáil. I mentioned that at present a Consolidation Bill is being prepared, taking all the legislation which was passed since 1842, up to the present time, putting the whole lot into one Bill and bringing it before the Dáil. At that stage, certain amendments in the present law would be considered, including, if thought advisable, such matters as the constitution and the powers of boards of conservators.
Deputy Murphy asked about an experimental boat that was being allocated to his area of South Cork. The boat, so far as the hull is concerned, has been ready for a long time. The difficulty was to get a suitable engine, and I understand that that difficulty is now being solved. The only other point I want to refer to was raised by Deputy Morrissey. Deputy Morrissey got up to say that he, personally, did not know a lot about fisheries, but he had been listening for 20 years to the criticism of the Fisheries Department and, from that, had concluded that that Department left a great deal to be desired. Well, I think Deputy Morrissey is not so innocent as to believe that criticism in the Dáil is at all times justified in every way. He said that a great deal of money had been devoted to fisheries, and apparently had not given any great fruit. Now, I do not think that some of the Deputies to whom Deputy Morrissey listened had made themselves very familiar with the facts. The truth is that during last year the turnover in our fisheries, that is sea and inland fisheries, was almost £1,000,000, which was a very substantial figure, and I might say a very much bigger figure than was reached five, ten, 15 or 20 years ago. Looking at the net amount spent on fisheries during the last four years, I find that it never exceeded £17,000. In one year, it was as low as £14,000. If the amount spent on fisheries every year runs from £14,000 to £17,000, I think Deputies will admit that that is an extremely small amount; it certainly is not very substantial, and to speak of substantial sums scarcely gives us a fair picture. It is true, of course, that large sums have been voted for the provision of boats and gear, but that is only by way of loan.
As a matter of fact, at the moment there is not a penny of arrears due on the repayments that go to the Exchequer in respect of these advances. That is a very satisfactory statement to be able to make about fishermen. As everybody knows, fishermen have a very strenuous time in making a living. There is a great deal of chance and so on about the work on which they are engaged. If, as a result of the scheme drawn up, they were able to get boats and gear and to increase substantially the amount of fish caught, as to which I gave figures in the beginning, and are now up to date in their repayments, I think we can congratulate the fishermen on the hard work they have put in during the last four or five years and on their commercial honesty in paying their debts.
