asked the Minister for Defence if he will consider providing a coastguard service for the purpose of protecting Ireland's valuable fishing grounds.
Ceistéanna—Questions Oral Answers - Coastguard Service.
20.
It is not proposed to change the existing arrangements under which fishery protection is carried out by the Naval Service.
Is the Minister aware it is when a catch is made by one of our Naval fleet and when the offenders are taken in to port that the foreigners really get to work. Because of the fact that we are so limited would the Minister not consider it wise to have some type of coastguard service which would not be too costly to the State to protect the coastline from foreign trawlers?
Answers to previous questions in this regard elicited the information that involved in this would be coast protection in which the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Justice and the Department of External Affairs would be involved. The lifeboat service would involve the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The Coast Lifesaving Service would involve the Department of Transport and Power and the Coast Lighting Service would involve the Commissioners of Irish Lights. At the moment the opinion is that it is better to continue the present position in which our Naval Service carries out our fishery protection.