Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

Will the Leader arrange for the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to come to the House to discuss an anomaly whereby the midlands fisheries group of the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board has imposed charges for coarse and pike fishing? Permits are required at a cost of €37 annually, €11 for one day, €19 for 21 days, €2 for juveniles, €19 for pensioners and €13 for juveniles annually. These charges only apply to the River Suck, River Inny, River Bronsa, Little Brosna river and River Camlin, some of which are in the Leader's area. It is grossly unfair that the charges apply in these areas but do not apply on the River Shannon which is only 10 km away. We are trying to attract tourists to our area where imposing and enforcing these charges is very damaging to tourism. We are trying to develop walkways in the Suck basin and encourage people to fish. Having to pay for a permit will detract and discourage them. It is not a level playing pitch. Will the Leader arrange for the Minister to come to the House to explain why of all the fisheries board, the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board is the only one to impose these permit and licence charges? This has been not a good year for tourism, particularly angling tourism.

Will the Leader also ask the Minister to outline the position on Lanesboro and Shannonbridge peat power stations which will require serious levels of maintenance in 2010? These flagship projects were well heralded in the area but it seems there are some deficiencies with the equipment and pipes which are causing erosion. I would like the Minister to come to the House to explain the situation, to state whether the companies which built these stations gave compensation for the damage they caused and to outline the position regarding the ESB and Bord na Móna workers. These are important issues and I hope the Leader will arrange for the Minister to attend the House to discuss them.