Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On the question of being 30 years ahead or 30 years behind, we were once pretty advanced with regard to having a huge fishery. Reference was made to the hatchery on Lough Allen. There is a potentially very big fishery in State ownership at present at Parteen Weir, the Shannon hatchery. Very little is being done with it. Have the witnesses any views on whether more could or should be done with it?

One of the things I would dearly like to see is a committee considering fisheries under State ownership, particularly the Shannon one. I appreciate the workload of this one is such that we cannot facilitate this. The Shannon fishery has failed miserably. A variety of obstacles could and should be examined. One is neglect by the owners over the years and also the State by extension. We gave the fishery to the ESB and asked it to go ahead with it but what is required of it is nothing like its core activity. However, it is potentially very important to the Irish economy. Have the witnesses any views on this?

When I referred to labelling, I was referring specifically to PGI rather than the organic labelling of finfish. The delegation was very critical. Would any distinction be drawn between finfish and shellfish with regard to the criticism, or the question of compatibility with meeting the needs of environmental sustainability?

Mr. Ó Corcora should not take the failure to reply to his letter personally. As a Government backbencher who has supported the Government up to now, I rarely get more than an acknowledgement from any Minister, much less a substantive reply.