Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy about the massive potential. Obviously, there are stocking challenges with brown trout and wild salmon and there are discussions and consultations taking place about management. We could have a very wide debate about the constraints and the challenges, be it pollution, cormorants or seals, but we have a difficulty in terms of stocks. At the same time there are very positive partnerships at community level. I will cite one, which the Deputy alluded to, on the River Lacken. There has been a great partnership project there between the local development company and the people. In fact, workers in the Tús programme came to work on the rehabilitation of spawning beds, looking at walkways and so forth. This work must come from the community. When I meet with members of the board of Inland Fisheries Ireland they talk about the pressures they are under in terms of fewer personnel, enforcement and being vigilant in monitoring, so the community, local angling clubs and the local groups in charge of the various rivers have a massive role in this regard.

On the question of money going back to Europe, many of these funding applications are demand led at community level. We have a role to play through the new process under SICAP to encourage groups to get involved. Certainly, there is a role for the Department in facilitating that as much as possible.