Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I again welcome the Minister of State to the House but it would be appropriate if the Minister, Deputy Denis Naughten, came into the House to deal with the Bill because people locally are amazed that he, as Minister, would discriminate against the constituency of Roscommon-east Galway by imposing permits to fish for pike or coarse fish in the Midlands Fisheries Group of controlled waters.The area comprises the River Suck, the River Inny, the River Brosna, the Little Brosna River and the Camlin River. I see the number of the fishing permit distributors. However, I know one particular individual in our area who has decided to terminate their sale because Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, was looking for advance payment for the permits. I have looked at the ESB regulations regarding angling permits. We are losing out big time. No British fisherman is going to pay €45 for a permit to fish on the River Suck, the River Inny, the River Brosna, the Little Brosna River and the Camlin River when he or she can fish without a permit in Ballyleague on the River Shannon. The situation arose recently when a fishing contest could not come to the River Suck area last week because of the permit situation. What statutory order was issued at the time that the Midlands Fisheries Group brought forward this proposal for these particular permits?