Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

This amendment concerns section 65 of the Bill, which is a restatement of section 45 of the Fisheries Act 1980. It allows the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, to sell certain fisheries, fishing rights and businesses vested in him or her. Senators O'Reilly and Twomey seek to have any such sale subject to the approval of Dáil Éireann. Such a restriction is not applied to other agencies or Ministers and I do not feel it is necessary in this instance, particularly as the provision is safeguarded by requiring the approval of the Minister for Finance. Nevertheless, having taken on board the point made following the debate on this section in the House, the Bill includes a provision whereby the Minister will notify the joint Oireachtas committee of the details of any sale completed under this section. I trust Senator Twomey will understand that in light of the amendments already made to this section, I am unable to accept the proposed amendment.

I remind the Senator - I know this from my late father's experience in returning the famous weir in Galway into Irish owned hands - that often opportunities for a quick purchase or sale arise in unique circumstances and a Minister must have the flexibility to execute the sale in a timely fashion, before the mood of the seller changes and it cannot be done.