Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

There has already been a call for a debate on the Green Paper on local government reform, the launch of which I had the pleasure of attending yesterday. I would welcome an early debate on this issue to which we should invite the Minister concerned to attend. As Government spokesperson on the environment, heritage and local government, I look forward to such a debate. There are many interesting proposals included in the Green Paper. As in the case of every proposal, there are parts of it one likes and parts of it of which one is not fond. Nevertheless, it is an innovative initiative by the Minister and I would warmly welcome an early opportunity to debate it.

I wish to raise another matter, of which the Leader will be aware, and draw it to the attention of our spokesperson on this area, Senator Carty. A serious problem concerning the depletion of our fish stocks by non-nationals has arisen in the midlands. I do not apologise for saying that because it has been established that a certain group of people have used a net on one side of a river or a canal and have taken everything, including fish fingerlings, out of the water but nothing has been put back in.

This is about the tenth time I have raised this matter. I want something done about it. I request the Leader to invite the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to come to the House to bring forward definitive proposals to put an end to this practice. Westmeath is known as the lake county. We have many natural lakes and rivers in the county, of which we are proud. Those resources are a great tourism attraction, but tourists will not come to the county when our fish stocks are totally depleted. I ask again for an early debate on this matter.