asked the Minister for the Marine the number, if any, of apprehensions and confiscations of tackle that have taken place in respect of non-compliance with the trout angling licence requirement under the Fisheries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1987.
23.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Angling Licences.
11.
asked the Minister for the Marine the number of offences of failure to have fishing licences specified in the Fisheries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1987, detected by fishery officers to date; the number of cases in which prosecutions have been initiated; the estimated number of man hours and cost involved in checking anglers for licences.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 23 together.
The information sought is not readily available. Such particulars are supplied by the regional boards at the end of the fishery year. I will arrange for such information as can reasonably be procured to be supplied as soon as it comes to hand.
Are we to take it from the Minister's reply that there is no record or reports in his office of any confiscations or apprehensions in relation to the Fisheries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act?
Arrangements for the supply of this type of statistical information are made under a recognised procedure that has been in practice for years. At the end of the fishing season boards from the various areas submit to the Department details of prosecutions, confiscations and fines imposed. I am aware from newspaper reports that a number of convictions have already been procured in this area. These are checked at the end of the season when the returns are sent to the Department.
I appreciate what the Minister is saying but the question asked if there were any apprehensions or confiscations of tackle. In view of statements which have emanated from the Government in recent weeks, surely this information must have been available because it was on such information that statements were made.
I am aware from newspaper reports and other comments that there has been a number of apprehensions and convictions under this legislation. There are reports in today's newspapers of convictions in Galway yesterday.
I am not talking about convictions.
What is the Deputy talking about?
I am talking about apprehensions and confiscations.
These are usually followed up in due course by the fishery boards who operate the legislation.
Surely the Minister has been notified.
No. These are operational matters for the various regional authorities involved. These are statutory bodies with responsibility to enforce all the fisheries legislation and this is being done in the normal way. We do not have any authority to interfere with them.
In line with the request made to the Minister in this context by Deputy Doyle earlier, would it be possible for him to obtain interim information on the prosecutions and the statistics sought here, to enable the House to know the extent to which the law is being operated? I would ask the Minister, inconsideration of the questions, to have regard to Deputy Sherlock's question with regard to the estimated number of man hours and cost involved in the policing of the legislation.
As Deputies know, all the fisheries legislation, which is very complicated and involves many statutes and Acts going back over a number of years, is implemented and enforced by the statutory bodies with responsibility in that regard, the regional fisheries boards. In their ongoing protection and management operations on a day-to-day basis they have statutory responsibility and authority to do that. They do so in relation to all the statutes for which they have responsibility to enforce. I do not think it is possible to identify the breakdown of costs involved in operating one part of the legislation as against another. The fishery authority and the regional managers have responsibility for a whole range of areas from fishery pollution to conservation implementation, enforcement of legislation on salmon drift netting and so on, and they furnish us with details at the end of each season. It may be possible to get an up-to-date report halfway through the season. We will endeavour to get that and will communicate any information we have to the Deputies who are interested.
Did the Minister, the Taoiseach, or any member of the Government or Minister of State give an assurance to the Archbishop of Tuam that the Fishery Act would not be enforced——
Please, Deputy Molloy.
The Deputy likes to keep it stirred up but it backfired on him.
We now come to questions nominated for priority.
Can the Minister——
I can give the Deputy an assurance that the law is the law and is being enforced.
The Deputy has asked the Minister a question which I have ruled out of order on numerous occasions.
On 19 May I rang the Department and they could not tell me if the law was being enforced.
(Interruptions.)