§ MR. CONDONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether the bye-laws published by the Inspectors of Irish fisheries which respectively prohibit fishing with nets of any kind in the non-tidal waters of the River Suir and prohibit fishing in its tidal waters with nets exceeding 40 yards in length, at present await the sanction of the Lord Lieutenant in Council; (2) whether he is aware that their enactment will deprive more than 100 families of their means of livelihood, and that the nets, the use of which is sought to be now prohibited, have been used from time immemorial in the non-tidal and tidal waters respectively, and without restriction as to length in the latter; and (3) whether steps will be taken to provide a less expensive appeal than that to the Lord Lieutenant in Council from the decision of the Inspectors of Irish Fisheries in cases such as this?
§ *MR. GERALD BALFOURThe bye-law referred to will not, I am informed, be submitted to the Lord Lieutenant in Council for about a month, so as to afford all persons an opportunity of appeal. I have no information as to the second paragraph, but any representations in regard to the matter should be made to the Committee of the Privy Council on the hearing of the appeal. As regards the third paragraph, any alteration of the existing procedure would require legislation, and without expressing an opinion on the merits of the suggestion, I cannot hold out any hope of taking the matter up at present.