asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if his attention has been drawn to a statement by the Irish Federation of Marine Industries that 50 per cent of the country's boat building yards are facing closure unless additional finance is made available to Bord Iascaigh Mhara; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Boat Building Yards.
7.
I have seen the statement in question and, while I do not accept it as being correct, I would point out that the Minister for Finance in his budget statement announced an additional allocation of £1.4 million for the capital requirements of An Bord Iascaigh Mhara in the current year.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary give an assurance that with the additional moneys made available in the budget yesterday An Bord Iascaigh Mhara will be able to carry out a full programme of activity during the coming year? Is the Parliamentary Secretary satisfied that the money being made available is fully adequate for all their purposes?
I am satisfied that the money allocated is fully adequate for all their purposes. May I add that money allocated for fisheries in previous Estimates, particularly under Fianna Fáil Governments, was not utilised? The sums set out in the Book of Estimates were fictitious figures. So far as some harbour activities were concerned the moneys allocated remained with the Exchequer. The Minister for Finance, the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries and I, as his Parliamentary Secretary, are trying to rectify that position and to ensure that the moneys set out in the Book of Estimates are the actual figures we think will be required or as approximate as possible. We will not, such as happened under Deputy Haughey and Fianna Fáil rule, have a position where as much as 66 per cent of Estimates approved for harbour developments were left unexpended.
It is great to hear the Parliamentary Secretary talk about fictitious figures in the Book of Estimates when on this particular occasion we have an entirely fictitious figure set down in the Book of Estimates. We had to wait until yesterday for the Minister for Finance to come along and engage in dramatics here by announcing an increase. If this money is required to keep Bord Iascaigh Mhara operating to the full extent of their activities, why was that figure put into the Book of Estimates?
We are deviating from the question.
Why should we have to go through this window dressing so that the Minister for Finance could claim credit yesterday for making additional money available in the budget? If that money was required why was it not put in the Book of Estimates? Why was there a fictitious figure put in?
This would be more appropriate to the budget debate. This is Question Time.
The Parliamentary Secretary has made a tendentious statement about figures for previous years.
The figure set down in the Book of Estimates was not a fictitious figure. The Minister for Finance, with whom I am in thorough agreement, is mindful of the fact that all moneys provided for State bodies or any other public works are gainfully employed and properly utilised.
Why were they not put in the Book of Estimates?
The Minister wanted confirmation of the amounts required, why they were required and how they were likely to be expended by BIM. Those figures were not available at the time the Book of Estimates was prepared. The Minister had no hesitation in making any necessary correction.
This is entering a debate now.
(Interruptions.)
If what the Parliamentary Secretary says is correct why were authorised representatives of Bord Iascaigh Mhara able to go on the radio the day after the Book of Estimates was published and say that the figure was totally inadequate? Is it not blatantly obvious it was only as a result of pressure from fishery interests that this figure was altered yesterday?
This argument must cease. I am calling the next question.
(Interruptions.)
As a Deputy from a coastal area, I think I am entitled to ask a question.
I will allow the Deputy to ask a final supplementary question.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary give any indication of the amount of money necessary to provide boats for applicants to An Bord Iascaigh Mhara in the current year?
The amount of money in the Estimates is deemed to be quite adequate to meet this purpose.
If the Parliamentary Secretary is not in a position to give us figures in relation to the money required for the boats why was the Estimate figure inadequate?
I have called the next question.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware, even with yesterday's addition to the amount in the Book of Estimates for fisheries, that the money given is not sufficient when one takes the inflationary trend into account and that it will not maintain the same level of activity in An Bord Iascaigh Mhara or in fisheries generally as was maintained last year?
I am satisfied that the increase of 41 per cent is quite adequate to meet any possible inflation that may arise.
I am not.
The Deputy is entitled to his opinion.