asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that every year during the low-water period, the River Shannon in the vicinity of Athlone is badly choked with masses of weeds making it almost impassable for boats, rendering its appearance very unsightly and gravely interfering with the fishing industry; and, if so, whether he is prepared to make arrangements to remedy this unsatisfactory state of affairs.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Condition of River Shannon at Athlone.
I am aware that the presence of weeds in the Shannon at Athlone militates to some extent against angling especially in conditions of low water. It is not the responsibility of the fishery authority to keep fishing waters free from overgrowth of weeds. Where weeds interfere with angling it is obviously for the owners of the fishery rights concerned or the people enjoying those rights to have them dealt with.
Is the Minister aware that the Shannon in the vicinity of Athlone is used extensively by tourists every year for fishing purposes and that the fact that the bed of the Shannon is overgrown with weeds at the moment prevents these people from fishing to a great extent? Is he further aware that the responsibility for the cleaning of the river cannot be ascertained, that the Department of Finance have declared that they have no responsibility with regard to cleaning the river and that the Electricity Supply Board say they have no responsibility, that the Shannon Navigation Company say that they have no responsibility——
The Deputy is making a very successful speech by means of a question.
Is it possible, seeing that these various Government Departments stated they have no responsibility for the cleaning of the River Shannon, that his Department which now hopes to entice more tourists to the country, would set a good example by taking the responsibility on themselves to do something about the cleaning of the Shannon? Is it possible that the Parliamentary Secretary might see his way to have a scheme carried out to remove the weeds?
I would refer the Deputy to the people who are using this fishery—the lessees. Has the Deputy approached the anglers' association, who have taken over this fishery in the condition in which it exists?
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the Athlone Anglers' Association which has a membership of 300 has spent the last 12 months writing to various Government Departments to try to pin-point the responsibility and they could not get a straight answer from any Department? It is as a result of their representations that I decided in turn to question the various Government Departments to try to fix the responsibility.
Is it not a fact that if the Athlone Anglers' Association will join the fishery trust and make over its fishery to the trust for maintenance and exploitation, the trust will find very quickly whose responsibility it is, and will bring their nose to the grindstone?