John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 238: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the cost of installing a fish counter at Mocollop on the River Blackwater; if the counter functioned at all times since its installation and if he deems it to be worthwhile; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14194/05]

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 240: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if the fish counter on the Suir and Clondulane on the River Blackwater are operating; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14197/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 238 and 240 together.

The overall management of the national fish counter programme has been primarily the responsibility of the Marine Institute which has operated directly, or by sub-contracting where necessary, to maintain the objectives of the programme.

The cost of installing the counter at Mocollop on the River Blackwater came to under €89,000. This funding was provided under the final tranche of the national development plan tourism angling measure in 1999. According to the Marine Institute, both this and the counter on the River Suir are hydro-acoustic counters which use echo location. They were two of four purchased in the late 1990s, to use as the basis for an experimental programme on large rivers, which pose particular difficulties with regards to directly quantifying fish runs.

These counters functioned well during testing and received clear acoustic signals. However, this type of counter requires additional technical refinement to calibrate to ensure verifiable salmon counts and to differentiate between various species of fish. This work has not yet been completed and, as a result, both of these counters are being held in storage by the Marine Institute.

The resistivity counter at Clondulane weir on the River Blackwater is a partial counter, providing an index of fish ascending the fish pass at the weir. According to the Marine Institute, this counter was fully functional during the latter half of 2004 and provided a total count of 8,185 ascending and 756 descending fish. However, in November 2004, a non-critical fault within the counter was detected and, as a result, a replacement counter was installed. The original unit was returned to the manufacturers for repair. No data was lost from the counter as a result of this fault.

Since taking up office as Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, I have emphasised that I expect the regional fisheries boards and the Marine Institute to collaborate in managing the fish counter programme in the most effective and efficient way possible. In order to achieve this, I have directed the Department to review the arrangements in respect of the operational, data management and quality assurance issues for the national fish counter management programme. I expect this review to be completed so that an enhanced national management programme, including the calibration of the hydro-acoustic counters, will be established within the available resources. It will be carried out by the regional fisheries boards, in partnership with the Marine Institute, from 2005.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 239: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if it was his Department or the Office of Public Works that expressed a preference in 2004 for a denil pass rather than a pond pass as was the plan in 2001 for the work to be undertaken on the Lacken Weir, Kilkenny; the reasoning behind the decision taken; if the cost implications were considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14196/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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While I am aware of the difficulties arising from the works undertaken on the weir on the River Nore in Kilkenny city, this project was undertaken on behalf of, and is, therefore, the responsibility of, the Office of Public Works. The OPW and the consulting engineers involved consulted the engineering division in the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and the Southern Regional Fisheries Board in Autumn 2003 on the proposed fish pass options to be facilitated in the project. Based on the data given to the Department's engineers by the consulting engineers on upstream and downstream water levels during average daily flow conditions, it was recommended that a denil pass be included in Lacken Weir rather than the previously proposed pool pass. The cost implications of the change from a pool pass to a denil pass were not considered significant in the overall cost of the works.

It now transpires that the data provided by the consulting engineers in respect of these water levels was incorrect and that the downstream water level at the entrance to the constructed pass has been found to be lower than required for the normal operation of a denil pass. As a result, the fish pass installed impacted adversely at certain times on the passage of migrating salmon up river earlier this year.

When this matter was discovered, both the regional fisheries board and the engineering division of the Department offered technical expertise to address the problem. The Southern Regional Fisheries Board, in co-operation with the engineers in the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and the Office Of Public Works, has installed a temporary extension to the fish pass to ameliorate the situation and allow for the passage of fish up river.

The engineering division of the Department has designed a permanent remedial scheme, expected to be put in place during low water in the summer months. The cost of the remedial works will be borne by either the Office Of Public Works or its consultant engineers.