asked the Minister for Fisheries if he will acquire the Tighe estate fisheries, Inistioge, County Kilkenny, with a view to protecting the livelihoods of local fishermen.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Kilkenny Fishery.
12.
Fresh legislation is necessary to enable several fisheries to be acquired by my Department either compulsorily or on a voluntary basis unless such a fishery was required for scientific purposes or for the better management of all the fisheries of a particular catchment area in which even a voluntary purchase is permissible under existing legislation. The purchase of the Tighe fishery could not be justified on either of these grounds and so consideration of any proposal to acquire the fishery would have to await the enactment of the enabling legislation which is at present in course of preparation.
I should add, however, that in any consideration of the matter it would need to be borne in mind that acquisition of the fishery by my Department would not enable snap netting on a substantial scale to be carried on by local fishermen as the several fishery is limited in its scope and is subject to the Control of Fishing for Salmon Order.
When does the Minister propose to bring in this legislation?
In a matter of six weeks. Delays have been caused by the acquisition procedures in the Bill in relation to fisheries, problems of a legal nature vis-à-vis the Constitution, but I hope to have the Bill in final form before the House in about six weeks.