HC Deb 08 March 1875 vol 222 c1391
MR. O'CLERY

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Why the Report of the Inspectors for Irish Fisheries for the year 1874, which, according to the Act 5 and 6 Vic. c. 106, s. 112, should be presented to Parliament within twenty-one days from the commencement of the present Session, has not as yet been issued?

SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH

, in reply, said, that at the time of the passing of the Act directing that Reports should be furnished at a particular date, there were no Boards of Conservancy in Ireland and no statistics to be collected. Since then Boards had been established and much valuable statistical information was annually collected, but it would not be possible to include it in the Inspectors' Reports, if those Reports were presented to Parliament within the time fixed by the Act. In the event of its being necessary to amend the Fishery Laws, he should propose that a later date should be fixed by law for the presentation of those Reports.