§ 17. Mr. BOLANDasked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he is aware that no local notification, in the post office or otherwise, has been made in Ballinskelligs of the putting into force of the Prohibited Areas Trawling Act; whether steps will be taken to notify personally the skippers of all steam trawlers operating off the coast of Kerry; whether, in particular, notice will be served on those who have been convicted and fined for breaches of the trawling regulations; whether he is aware that the Waterville Coastguard station is fifteen miles by land from the bay of the Glen, which is hidden by mountains from the Coastguard station; whether some of the 1189 numerous motor boats can be authorised to protect the interests of the local fishermen; and whether, in view of the fact that ten Transatlantic cables are in danger from the operations of these trawlers, some special steps will be taken to safeguard the various interests concerned?
§ Mr. RUSSELLThe Department will consider the desirability of sending to post offices in the districts referred to in the question notices regarding the Trawling in Prohibited Areas Prevention Act, 1909. The Department are aware that the Coastguard station at Waterville is many miles from St. Finan's or Glen Bay, but the trawling ground in that bay is close to shore, and it ought not to be difficult for the local fishermen to identify by number or otherwise the offending trawler and furnish a report to the Department, as is done in other districts. No such reports have been received from the district in question. The duty of protecting telegraph cables has not been assigned to the Department, but the Department take every possible step to enforce the fishery regulations on the Kerry coast.