MR. POWER (Waterford, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, seeing that the Admiralty place at the disposal of the Scotch fishery authorities gunboats, to assist the gunboats provided by the Fishery Board for prohibiting illegal fishing, and in view of the injury done to the Irish fisheries by steam trawlers, and the extent of coast to be patrolled, he will make application to the Admiralty to supply gunboats to assist those at present employed by the Irish fishery authorities for the protection of the Irish Fisheries.
MR. BRYCEThe question of the assistance to be rendered by the Admiralty in the protection of Irish Fisheries has from time to time been the subject of correspondence between the Irish Government and the Admiralty, from which it would appear that the function of the Admiralty is confined to the protection of Irish territorial waters from foreign vessels. Admiralty cruisers are employed for this purpose in Irish waters as occasion requires, and I understand that a conviction was recently obtained in Ireland against a foreign vessel captured by an Admiralty cruiser. The areas around the Irish coast in which steam trawling is prohibited are effectively patrolled by the Department of Agriculture's steam cruiser "Helga," with the occasional assistance of the steamship "Granuaille," which belongs to the Congested Districts Board.
MR. BRYCEYes, but only for one purpose. There is a difference between the law of Scotland and of Ireland, but it does not affect the general duty of the Admiralty as regards trawlers.
§ MR. JOYCE (Limerick)And only yesterday a Minister of the Crown promised protection to the Cornish crabbers.
§ * MR. SPEAKERThat does not arise out of the Question on the Paper.