Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I am sure the Minister of State will be aware of the evidence presented to the salmon commission that shows the salmon stock in the great salmon rivers on the east coast — the senior Minister will be interested in stock levels in the River Boyne and River Liffey — is down to a few hundred salmon. The last of those surviving genetic stock unique to those two rivers will head off this summer and the odds are that they will be caught in nets used indiscriminately off the west coast of Donegal, Kerry and Cork.

While I accept the argument that this proposal will incur a cost, can the Minister of State explain to his senior Minister why he is putting in place a system that may eradicate and make extinct the Boyne or Liffey salmon? That is the point we are at according to scientific evidence presented to the commission, to which the Minister of State referred.

See this speech in context