§ MR. FIELDTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will consider the advisability of establishing a brand for Irish cured fish similar to that existing in Scotland; whether he will increase the grants to enable the Irish fishing industry to be improved; and whether he will arrange that the breeding places shall be protected by utiltising gunboats and coastguards to prevent illegal trawling.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) In reply to the first part of the Question, I beg to refer to my Answer to the Question put by the hon. Member for South Kerry on June 27th. ߤ The hon. Member will see that the question of establishing a brand for Irish cured fish has been fully considered, and that it has not been thought desirable to adopt a brand. The question of an increased grant for the improvement of the fishing industry can be better considered after the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Working of the Department has been received, and it is possible that the fishing industry in some of its aspects may come within the purview of the inquiry into the problem of congestion which it is proposed to conduct. The breeding places of fish where illegal trawling would be likely to take place are effectively patrolled by the vessels"Helga" and"Granuaile," belonging to the Irish Government, and the coastguard give assistance by reporting cases of illegal fishing which come under their notice. I dealt with the matter of assistance by gunboats in my reply to the Question of the hon. Member for East Waterford on June 26th.‡
† See Col. 949.‡ See Col. 790.