Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for allowing me to speak briefly at this juncture. This is the first chance I have had to congratulate him on his new position. As a rural politician, I could respond cynically to his appointment by suggesting that he will be unable to get his head around the various rivers and tributaries in this country. However, I am aware that he is well travelled and is familiar with various parts of my constituency. I understand he has been to my home village of Carrigart. I know the Minister of State will be eager to learn in his new position.

In welcoming this Bill, it is important to state that any standardisation in legislation has to be examined critically. Many people may be sceptical and suggest that we are going back to the old days of centralising everything and implementing Dublin policy. That is a danger. I expect the Minister of State to use his vast network throughout the Twenty-six Counties to ensure that active clubs have a key role in driving this legislation forward. We all know that legislation, like certain football teams, can look good on paper. The grassroots agenda, as represented by active game angling clubs, needs to be driven forward. That agenda has run into problems and difficulties in my native county. As the Minister of State has primary ministerial responsibility in this regard, he has an important role to play.

I wish to speak about the various regional fisheries boards that have been active over recent years. I am familiar with the activities of the Northern Regional Fisheries Board. I am aware of many of the board's new practices. It is employing new technology as part of its enforcement efforts, which are aimed at improving the policing of rivers and maintaining fish stocks. I admire many of the practices and initiatives that have been introduced. I am aware from my contacts in other fisheries boards that different agendas have been pursued across the seven boards. Different practices have been driven by the chief executive officers at the top of the various boards. It is obvious that the officers' individual philosophies came into play as they tried to carry out their aims and objectives. This goes back to the raison d'être for this legislation, namely, to have uniformity and standardisation.

As for other linkages, I highlighted at the outset that the needs and wants of game angling clubs have been left out. Their needs and wants do not differ from what is being attempted by incorporating this national legislation. They are into conservation, inclusion and trying to drive a local agenda, which includes reaching out to schools and court systems. My research suggests that in some European countries, under certain circumstances youth offenders may, as part of their rehabilitation, engage in some form of positive recidivism involving fishing in the inland waterways. Moreover, the Loughs Agency in Northern Ireland also is engaged in this practice. Perhaps the Minister of State could examine critically the opportunity to do this, rather than simply engaging with schools and the youth.

I am sure the Minister of State has been in contact with the aforementioned Loughs Agency, which is under the leadership of Mr. Derick Anderson. It is singing from the same hymn sheet in that it also promotes conservation, fishing and the opportunities associated with inland fisheries. It will be important to have constant engagement with the Loughs Agency, which obviously was in close collaboration with the northern regional fisheries board. However, it will be important to have in place such linkage once the new administration has been set in stone. This should not purely be on the basis that it is a prerogative of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 to have integrated marine strategies but because it make sense and that obviously, certain tributary rivers and streams for which the Loughs Agency has responsibility straddle different jurisdictions.

The obvious challenge will relate to working together and one need only recall the fishing rod licence dispute to be aware that many tensions exist in respect of fishing in inland fisheries. However, given what is happening in respect of the advancement of aquaculture and the associated opportunities along the north-west coast, one must strive for a balance in which different specialties and industries must work hand in hand and the Minister of State will have responsibility in this regard. As the Minister of State will lead the new board and will be involved in driving forward the legislation, how does he intend to hold onto the ethos of subsidiarity? This may sound somewhat ironic as this legislation will get rid of the regional dimension, but one need only consider what has happened in respect of the health boards and the creation of the HSE monster. How does the Minister of State intend to avoid the pitfalls of creating a centrally-led model without holding on to the bottom-up philosophy of local involvement and grassroots participation?

While that was my main question to the Minister of State, I refer to the opportunity that has been missed for the past 20 years with regard to tourism. The Minister of State needs to engage with the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism and impress on him the desirability of creating the same kind of standardisation and uniformity that this legislation seeks to achieve. For such a small country, Ireland has many different groups and quangos, to use a word that has frequently been bandied about, but there is very little standardisation with regard to promoting our product and the Minister of State has a role in this regard. We must be confident that tourism will be an area in which this economy will be driven forward once costs have been reduced. In addition, a form of single marketing model must be put in place that has fishing to the fore. There is an opportunity to have on offer a quality game angling product, as well as canoeing, kayaking, lakeland drives and leisure boating and that is what the Minister of State must do.

Without assuming too much, I presume the Minister of State intends to go on a nationwide tour. While it may not encompass every river in Ireland and I do not know whether he himself is a fisherman, I presume he intends to engage with angling clubs. I am sure he aware of the many tensions that exist in County Donegal. The Minister of State should give the volunteer element the respect they deserve but which they have not been receiving. They have been ploughing away in their attempts to restock rivers for salmon beds and although they have been trying to do this work on their own, they receive little assistance. While they do not seek money, they seek some form of empowerment and they should be given a role.

I will not filibuster for the sake of it because Fine Gael is on the same hymn sheet in this regard and agrees with the legislation. However, to recap, standardisation only works if one empowers people in the regions. I stated it is ironic because the legislation moves away from a regional dimension. However, this legislation alone will not achieve proper standardisation with regard to policing, marketing opportunities or driving the tourism agenda. It must go hand in glove with the activities of the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy Cullen. Over a cup of coffee or a pint of beer, the Minister of State should request the Minister, Deputy Cullen, to consider what is being done in respect of fisheries. In a non-patronising fashion, the Minister of State should invite his ministerial colleague to consider Ireland's fractured tourism model. While different regions exist, we do not have a standardised version. In the dominant areas in the south of the country, private operators have driven the tourism agenda over the years and have excelled in this regard. For example, they have created brands such as the Ring of Kerry or the Cliffs of Moher. However, to standardise tourism in Ireland and link it to what is being attempted in respect of fishing, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism must take a leaf from the Minister of State's book. The Minister of State must ask the aforementioned Minister to study what he is trying to do and perhaps learn a lesson on standardising policy in tourism, sport and recreation. These matters go hand in glove together and there is no point in discussing a single legislative measure without thinking across the board and across ministerial divides.

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