Brendan Daly (Fianna Fail)

I wish the Minister of State well in his office. He has a proud record in fisheries matters and was a very good apprentice when he worked with me in the Department of the Marine many years ago.

There has been veiled criticism of personnel in that Department but I want to record that there are very skilled, experienced, professional people in the Department, as the Minister is aware, who deal with this area every day. I could not allow a situation arise where there might be some reflection on the personnel who deal with licensing and other issues. The Department has been criticised in a veiled manner in the motion before the House.

Several speakers on the opposite side of the House spoke about the salmon fishing industry. Why was that not mentioned in the motion? There is mention of sea-angling, but no mention of the inland fisheries, about which I am very concerned.