Michael McCarthy (Labour)

I welcome the Minister to the House. While I will not be opposing this motion, I wish to raise a number of points about the manner in which these elections have been postponed and how often they have been postponed, which I do not believe is a good exercise in democracy. It is not good that any board should be permitted to remain in place for almost seven years without a fresh mandate. It is not good that one can use the excuse of the complexity of legislation and the legislative calendar to defend not having elections to the fisheries boards.

Not so long ago county councils remained in place for eight years. The then Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, quite rightly stated that this was unacceptable and put in place legislation to ensure councils did not run beyond five years. It is a pity he did not apply the same in respect of Seanad and Dáil elections. This illustrated a clear determination on the part of Government to ensure this type of situation was not permitted.

We have debated many facets of the marine during the past year and a half. The harbours Bill is being dealt with by the Department of Transport, the raising of Asgard II, the national sail training vessel which is at the bottom of the sea off the Bay of Biscay, is being dealt with by the Department of Defence and the postponement of elections to the fisheries boards is being dealt with by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. It is not good enough that an area as important to an island nation as marine is being dealt with at policy level by several different Departments and Ministers. There is, I believe, an absence of a body of thought in terms of marine, shipping, marine leisure, fishing and all that follows marine. I know Government Members share and have expressed that view in this House. This, however, is not, as far as I am concerned, good enough. We need to move to a situation whereby one Department is responsible for all matters marine.

The Minister was reminded of the following point in the Dáil and by Senator O'Reilly before he took the Chair. His deep commitment to the preservation of wild fish stocks is fairly well known and it is recognised that this area is an interest of his. He was equally appalled by the postponement of the elections to the boards when he was in opposition.

I will not oppose the motion, but I am concerned that the Minister said the structures should be in place late next year. Priority should be given to ensuring they are in place by the start of 2009, thereby ensuring that we will not be debating another motion here next year proposing the postponement of elections to the Central Fisheries Board. It is not good for democracy and it is certainly not good for this aspect of the marine.