Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am pleased to have an opportunity to make a few points on the joint Oireachtas committee's report. As the House may be aware, I am a member of the committee but not the sub-committee. I would like to pay tribute to Senator Kenneally, in particular, who was a member of the sub-committee and did tremendous work going through 40 submissions and listening to 45 individual people and organisations at the hearings. It was very comprehensive and I do not think it could have been any more inclusive in terms of the people involved in drawing up the report.

This has resulted in a representative report and a set of balanced recommendations, even though Senator Dardis disagrees with the issue of balance. Before I refer to the central issue, I would like to rebut something that was said earlier. Senator Ross's scurrilous attack on the Minister of State and his intentions is unprecedented in my short time in the House. It is disgraceful that any Member would accuse any Minister of this Government, or any Government, of overlooking the issues at hand or the national interest in pursuit of their own political gain within their constituency. The record of the Minister of State, Deputy Gallagher, as a Deputy, an MEP and as a Minister of State with responsibility for this issue and others in his brief, speaks for itself. Senator Ross's attack is disgraceful and I would like to completely disassociate myself from his comments against the Minister of State, Deputy Gallagher, or any Minister.

On the salmon issue and on the issue of the report, it is clear from what everyone is saying that we all want to achieve the same end result, that is, the protection of the salmon species. The only disagreement here is how we get there. The recommendations in the report are ideally placed for us to achieve our ultimate goal. It is the best way forward. The Minister of State's action in referring it to the salmon commission, the most representative body, is correct because it is the best place to digest the recommendations in the report and to make recommendations to the Minister of State on the appropriate action to be taken. Everyone is represented on the commission, from the Loughs Agency, to the industry itself and the tourism industry. There is an imminent appointment from Fáilte Ireland, which I welcome. It is the best way forward.

As Senator Kenneally said earlier, we are not dealing with a full deck here. We do not have all the facts and, as the Minister of State rightly pointed out, we do not, therefore, take knee-jerk reactions. More scientific research is what is required in this area, and there is also a wide variety of other issues with which we must deal. If the Minister presided over the abolition or cessation of draft and drift netting today and we examined the issue again this day next year, there would be no difference.