§ MR. O'CLERYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, If the Inspectors of Irish Fisheries have taken steps to ascertain whether there exists off the southeast coast of Ireland the unworked oyster beds to which attention was called last Session, and which are referred to in the 7th page of the Report for 1874, just issued; and, if he will be good enough to state the result of the investigations that may have been made?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHSir, the Inspectors of the Irish Fisheries have taken steps to investigate the subject of the alleged existence of unworked oyster beds off the South East Coast of Ireland, and the services of Her Majecty's gunboat Goshawk were granted by the Government for the purpose. A series of experiments have been made but without success up to the present time, so far as regards the South East Coast of Ireland.