Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 675: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his proposals to promote angling here with particular reference to rod fishermen and the need to maximise the angling industry for the benefit of tourist and sportsperson alike; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2544/06]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Fisheries Acts, primary responsibility for the conservation, protection, management and development of the inland fisheries resource rests with the central and regional fisheries boards. The central and regional fisheries boards devote considerable effort and resources to the promotion of angling and, in collaboration with the tourist authorities, to angling tourism.

The Deputy will be aware that in November 2005, I published details of the Government's new policy for the restructuring of the inland fisheries sector in Ireland. As a first step in this restructuring process, the Government has decided to establish a National Inland Fisheries Authority, NIFA, which will subsume the executive functions of the central and regional fisheries boards.

In setting up this new authority, discussions will take place between the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism with a view to specifying the role of the inland fisheries sector in support of the areas of angling, tourism and leisure development. This consultation process will also entail the development of a decision-making and accountability framework to ensure that policies, strategies and processes within the inland fisheries sector in these areas are co-ordinated with those of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and its agencies.

I am confident this particular element of the reform decided by Government is necessary to ensure that our tourism and recreational angling sector thrives and reaches its full potential. This reform will allow for the development of more coherent policy and strategy for tourism and recreational angling which will retain all that is best in the sector while at the same time making the role of the State in delivering on its objectives in this area more focused and effective.