Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 390, if it is the case that only six of the eighty five sites surveyed are located downstream of Carlow town and if this is the case the way it can be regarded as catchment wide and if he will ask the IFI to address this anomaly. [53926/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I am advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland that catchment wide electro-fishing is undertaken in juvenile salmon habitat close to shallow spawning redds and that this technique can only be undertaken in shallow spawning and nursery areas. No sampling sites are located in the lower reaches of the Barrow main channel as this habitat is not suitable for spawning and salmon fry will not be encountered. The technique is catchment wide throughout the upper Barrow catchment in the spawning and nursery habitat where juvenile salmon may be encountered.

Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the River Barrow on the list of rivers which are to be fitted with fish counters for escapement monitoring. [53927/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I am advised by Inland Fishers Ireland (IFI) that the River Barrow has been identified as a priority river for a fish counter. In this regard IFI has recently secured funding from the Salmon Conservation Fund to undertake preliminary feasibility and planning work to identify the most appropriate site and identifying the necessary works that would be required to install a counter. The feasibility/planning work requires external engineering expertise and this work package is currently at request for tender stage. It would be hoped that this will be progressed in 2013 and the results of this process will assist with identifying the costs for the project and to enable an application for funding to be drawn up.