Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 198: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount of money put aside to undertake essential habitat improvements and fish stock rehabilitation works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16991/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Under the Fisheries Acts, primary responsibility for the management, conservation, protection and development of the inland fisheries resource rests with the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards.

A considerable proportion of fisheries boards' resources and personnel time is devoted to the habitat improvement and fish stock rehabilitation works.

Funding of €35 million has been allocated in my Department's vote for 2008, for Inland Fisheries, including over €31 million for the operations and activities of the Fisheries Boards, including the habitat improvement and fish stock rehabilitation efforts of the Boards.

In 2007 €1.25m was made available to the Regional Fisheries Boards to enable them to undertake additional river habitat improvement and fish stock rehabilitation, when changes to the salmon management regime were introduced.

Furthermore a Ministerial Direction under the Fisheries Act 1980, requires the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards to prepare and implement a programme for rehabilitation of salmon stocks, funded by the proceeds of the salmon conservation component of the salmon licence fees.

I am advised that in 2007 a total of €342,004 was invested by the Regional Fisheries Boards and some €200,000 by the Central Fisheries Board in 2008 from the proceeds of the salmon licence fees for such projects. Further details of the salmon conservation component funding will be published in the 2007 Annual Report and accounts for the Fisheries Boards. The proceeds of the licence fees will be similarly allocated in 2008.