Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

However, he was like the grim reaper as he read his reply. He was unable to offer any solace to the people of Donegal, west Cork or Kerry. Some of his colleagues in the Dáil who like to pontificate had suggested that as soon as the new Government came into office, the Fisheries Acts would be revisited and the appalling decision that was made by my colleague, the former Minister, Noel Dempsey, would be reversed. As Senator Ó Domhnaill said, the pollution of our rivers by local authorities and chemical plants over the past 30 or 40 years has done far more damage to this country's salmon fishing industry than the minimal actions of a few lads off the coast of west Cork and Donegal. I accept that this might not fall under the brief of the Minister of State. Can he confirm he is saying that the curtain is down as far as commercial salmon fishing is concerned? If that is the case, we might as well tell the people about it. Perhaps we can make a few bob here and there by letting Merkel's people from Germany pick a few salmon from our rivers and lakes. It is a sad conclusion to the wild salmon fishing industry that I knew for all my lifetime.