andMr. McAuliffe asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware that, in their concern regarding the incidence of salmon disease in the River Blackwater, the Blackwater Riparian Owners and Lessees Association invited two expert scientists of international repute in fish diseases to examine the position; that these scientists came to Ireland in April and presented a report on the cause of the salmon disease; that they were subsequently invited to Ireland again by his Department and upon arrival were treated with considerable rudeness and hostility; and that their conclusions regarding the source of the disease were contradicted by the Government statement prior to their arrival on his invitation; and if he will make a full statement on the investigations carried out by his Department on the salmon disease and the visit of these two scientists.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Salmon Disease.
I am aware that two scientists — a university lecturer in zoology and a bacteriologist — visited Ireland in April last and made some investigations regarding the salmon disease of the River Blackwater at the invitation of the Blackwater Riparian Owners and Lessees Association. My Department was not informed in advance of this visit. On 4th June, 1966, what purported to be a full report of these scientists on their investigations was forwarded to my Department by southern boards of conservators in which the authors claimed to have identified the causative organism of the disease. The principal scientist expressed a desire to discuss the matter with officers of my Department and the two scientists came to Dublin by invitation on 22nd June and took part in a meeting with scientific officers of my Department. Scientific officers of the British Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of the Department of Agriculture, Scotland, also attended. I do not accept that the visiting scientists were treated with hostility and rudeness and as evidence of this I may mention that one of them wrote to my Department subsequently expressing thanks for the arrangements made for the visit. The scientists also appeared to be well satisfied with the outcome of the meeting which was that they were afforded facilities for carrying out in Ireland the further experimental work necessary before authoritative conclusions could be drawn from their investigations.
As I have already intimated to Deputy Kyne, the visiting scientists acknowledged at the meeting that material obtained from the infected areas contained at least four common types of pathogen, all of them capable of killing fish — a fact which had already been ascertained in the course of my Department's investigations. It is not correct to say that the conclusions of these scientists were contradicted by my Department before this meeting. The press statements made at the time are available for inspection.
As regards the investigations carried out by my Department, I would refer the Deputies to the press statements issued on 11th August and 25th October, 1966.