Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

Both my departmental officials and I will study this report. We will also be in correspondence with the EU on the subject of fisheries and the general environment. It is very difficult to explain this situation. Even Deputy Perry accepts there is no other commercial fishing of salmon in the north west. I am confident Deputy Perry is not trying to deceive the House but he knows well and I will remind him that following a voluntary buy-out in the north east of England costing £3.25 million there are still 25,000 salmon being commercially landed in the north east of England. A similar buy-out in Ireland would be very substantial. If authorities in some other countries are telling us it is not happening anywhere else then they are mistaken. I ask the Deputy not to take my word for it but to ask the UK authorities which will provide the same information. We need to start from the same base if we wish to arrive at a conclusion.

On the question of the scientific advice, I did not hear Deputy Perry or many of his colleagues shouting last June when we established a quota of 139,900. I repeat this was the advice from the salmon commission and it was accepted by me and by all my predecessors in office. The scientific advice changed at the last minute. This was a partnership arrangement. The members of the salmon commission come from varying backgrounds. They presented me with this advice and I accepted it. It was not a case of me being advised by them to accept a quota which I then increased. The only sin I have committed is that I have taken the advice I received from the salmon commission, as did my predecessors. We arestriving to achieve what was advised by the year 2007.

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