Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

I am not averse to doing so. I want to do what is right for the country, for angling, for tourism and for the commercial sector. It is possible to have a balance between commercial fishing and angling and tourist fishing. However I am opposed to the transfer of a resource from one sector to another at the expense of the Irish taxpayer. I am still awaiting offers from those who have both informed me and stated publically on numerous occasions they were prepared to make a contribution. I ask the Deputy to consider that if it were to be banned or if there were to be a complete buy-out, other important factors cannot be ignored. I refer to the issues of pollution, poaching and global warming. I have also asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to examine the issue of seals.

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