Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

I ask the Leader, in co-operation with our spokesperson on agriculture and fisheries, Senator Carty, to request that the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coughlan, to come to the House to address a matter which is pertinent to County Westmeath and perhaps also to other parts of the country. I raised this on two or three occasions in the previous Seanad. People are fishing with nets in our canals and rivers and taking everything out. Nothing is going back. This is a major problem. I am pleased to say that the Westmeath Topic has highlighted it at least twice. It must be dealt with because it is not going away. I ask the Leader and Senator Carty to arrange that this so that proposals can be put forward to address this problem.

Another matter I raised here some time ago is that of councillors obtaining independent legal advice on matters that affect their areas. Senator de Búrca is au fait with this issue as it is also relevant to her own county. It appears that local authority members are getting the short end of the stick. The council management can get all the advice it wants and this is paid for by the county council. However, if a councillor is not satisfied with the advice obtained by the county manager he or she must pay for alternative advice. This does a disservice to democracy.

I am glad the verbal expectorant is working here this morning in the case of Senator Twomey.