asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if his Department will acquire by agreement or by compulsory purchase order the fishing rights of Lough Eske and the River Eske in County Donegal in order that their full potential may be utilised by local anglers and tourists.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Fishing Rights.
23.
As the fishing rights referred to by the Deputy would not be of benefit to my Department for the purpose of scientific investigations their acquisition would not be permissible under existing legislation. There are, however, provisions in the new Fisheries Bill which would enable acquisition of private fisheries to be effected for the purpose of better management and development and, on enactment of that Bill, I will have the position examined in regard to the fishing rights of Lough Eske and the River Eske.
Is the Minister aware that, apart from the private fishery interest which seems to have become effective in recent times on those waters, for generations the fishing rights have been exercised by the private individuals and residents of that area and that it has been only in the recent past there has been any upset of this arrangement?
Apart from the new Bill is there anything the Minister can do to resolve the situation?
I have met personally with the local residents referred to by the Deputy and what he says is substantially correct, that is, that there is a tendency to exercise monopoly fishing rights on these waters. I will have the position considered when the pending legislation is enacted. There is a section in the Bill to deal with this type of situation.
Is there projected in the new Bill overall power to resolve a situation of this kind thereby eliminating the sort of vacuum that exists in which everybody's business is nobody's business and where a populace around a fisheries such as the Eske are not in a position to afford what would be their obvious resourse, the courts? This is the weakness in the present situation.
The Deputy may not negotiate the matter here.
Questions of title and ownership are matters to be settled by the courts.