Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 248: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when he proposes to introduce the Inland Fisheries Authority Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18480/06]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that details of the Government's policy for the restructuring of the inland fisheries sector, which is based on the recommendations contained within the report by Farrell Grant Sparks following their review of the sector, were published last November. The Government has decided that a fundamental restructuring of the sector is required. It considered that this reform would result in a better model for the State's role in the sector, better resource management, more and better involvement of stakeholders, better corporate governance and value for money.

As the first step in the reform process, the Government has authorised the drafting of a Bill to establish a National Inland Fisheries Authority, which will subsume the executive functions of the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards. The current fisheries boards will be transformed into Regional Advisory Boards. These statutory bodies will focus on regional issues and will be widely consulted on the detailed implementation of the second phase in the restructuring process.

I hope to have the legislation necessary for the establishment of the National Inland Fisheries Authority and Regional Advisory Boards enacted by the end of this year. Naturally, this timeframe depends on the complexity of the legislation currently under development and competing priorities in the legislative calendar for 2006.