asked the Minister for the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the North-Western Regional Fisheries Board have reduced their protection staff from 29 permanent staff and five temporary staff in 1981 to 20 permanent and one temporary in 1989, while the number of development staff has decreased from 12 in 1985 to seven at present; to the fact that no additional staff were provided for manning the seagoing patrol boat; if he is satisfied that the protection and development aspects of fisheries in the region are being adequately catered for; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - North-Western Regional Fisheries Board Staff.
8.
I am aware of the staffing position in the North-Western Regional Fisheries Board. I realise that there is a shortage of certain staff in the fisheries service generally and I accept that the reduction in staff numbers as a result of the Government embargo on recruitment in the public service and through the voluntary redundancy/early retirement scheme has had some effect on the service provided by the fisheries boards. I am satisfied, however, that the North-Western Regional Fisheries Board are making every effort to make the best use of available resources.
There is one correction in relation to the figures given by the Deputy in his question. In addition to the staff mentioned by the Deputy the North-Western Board have two fishery officers who are on long term sick leave. The Department of Finance have authorised the reemployment of a fishery officer and a general operative who had been on career breaks. The board also have a water pollution officer.
I am anxious that vacancies in key posts in the fisheries boards generally should be filled. My Department, in conjunction with the Central Fisheries Board, are pursuing this matter and in particular the filling of a vacant inspector post in the north-western region.
Would the Minister agree that his reply and his acknowledgement that there has been a substantial cutback in the number of fishery protection development officers in the North-Western Regional Fisheries Board area is a sad indictment on our commitment to the development and protection of fisheries? Would he also agree that in the light of the greater realisation of the potential of angling, within the ambit and the possible development of tourism as a major source of revenue to the regions, that the beautifully crafted speeches which are delivered on selected occasions paying lip service to tourism, sound very hollow in the context of the figures given? In the light of the fact that this area has 76 lakes, one of the three great lakes, Lough Conn, and the River Moy — the major fisheries river in Europe — and would he agree that it is an insult to our commitment to this area of our economy to acknowledge that this service has been cut by a substantial number over a period?
I have to dissuade the Member from making a speech.
Would the Minister agree that we have one man patrols in this area——
The Deputy has made his point.
I will finish shortly — which are not capable of carrying out their duties, that these people are taking their lives in their hands and that poaching is a very lucrative business which is not being controlled in this area?
I should like to tell the Deputy, as I corrected in my reply, he did not have the full number employed in the North-Western Regional Fisheries Board listed in his question. As I have said, I am anxious that vacancies in key posts in boards generally, should be filled and, in particular, I am pushing hard at present for the appointment of an inspector post in the north-west region which should ease the burden on the existing fishery inspectors. The Moy is claimed to be the greatest salmon river in Europe.
In relation to poaching, I am not aware that the problem is as serious as the Deputy has stated. I am taking note of what the Deputy said and whatever can be done to improve that situation will be done. I will act on that immediately.
Would the Minister agree that in the context of 230,000 people unemployed it is a nonsense to have vacancies in this fishery board area? It is better to employ people and pay them to do something rather than pay them to do nothing.
It is as painful for me as it is for the Deputy that there should be so many people unemployed. I also accept that many people took the redundancy or early retirement choice some time ago and that this has caused difficulty in the regional fisheries areas. I hope that gradually we will be able to improve that situation.
A final question from Deputy Rabbitte.
Does the Minister agree that whatever merits the embargo on public service recruitment had, it has now outlived its usefulness? This is an example of where it is counter-productive to have to go through this rigmarole and bureaucracy in order to fill a key post and it is defeating its purpose.
I think the Minister for Finance has assured this House that, where there was any inhibition and blocking to development, while he was holding the line on recruitment, he was looking at individual instances.