Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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559. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will introduce a reduced rate for senior citizens on the fee payable when purchasing the various categories of angling licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4107/16]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Currently there is no licence required or fee payable when fishing for trout and the numerous array of coarse fish species (pike, bream, roach, trench etc.) in Ireland. In addition, no licence or fee is required for sea angling. This covers the vast majority of angling species in Ireland.The current licensing regime in Ireland contrasts with other countries world-wide where licence fees are payable for all angling activity. Anglers of all ages, therefore, currently have significant opportunity to participate in angling without cost.

The only two species for which anglers are currently required to hold and pay for a licence are salmon and sea trout. There are a range of licence options available, and the price structure for licences facilitates broad participation in salmon and sea trout angling at economic rates.

Licence fees (for salmon and sea trout) are set by the Minister of the day, having consulted with the Minister for Public Enterprise and Reform, and any changes in fees normally reflect movement in the Consumer Price Index. In this regard, reflecting the prevailing economic conditions, a reduction in fees for all licence categories was introduced for the 2012 fishing season, and these reduced levels have been maintained by me as Minister. Details and costs for licence categories are available on my Department's website at .

I would also advise, regarding salmon and sea trout licences, that a fisheries conservation component was applied to all licence fees in 2007, as part of a suite of conservation measures for the management of wild fisheries. This component represents 50% of the licence fee, and income generated from this component is ring-fenced by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) for the rehabilitation of salmon habitats and conservation measures throughout the country.

All of the proceeds of the salmon and sea trout licence fees income are reinvested, by IFI, in the conservation, protection and development of wild fisheries habitats and stocks directly, or through the Salmon Conservation Fund scheme, with a particular emphasis on prioritised investment in those rivers in most need of rehabilitation.