§ Mr. Loftusasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he is aware that, on 1st July, 1937, the Lowestoft drifter-trawler "Willing Boys," while fishing near the Glass Norman bank off the Irish coast, was fired at by the Irish Free State fishery-cruiser "Muirchu," first with a blank shot and then with two live shells which struck the water close to the "Willing Boys," which was afterwards arrested and then taken to Dunlaog-haire harbour, arriving there at 10.15 p.m.; that the skipper, Russel James Gower, was not allowed that evening to get in touch with the owners of his boat but was confined in a cell for the night; that the next morning, after communicating with the owners, he appeared before 1747W a court in Dublin charged with illegal trawling in territorial waters; that he did not understand he could have the case adjourned in order to obtain legal assistance; and that he was fined £50 and had the gear confiscated; and whether he will cause representations to be made to the Government of Eire on this matter and endeavour to obtain the treatment of skippers arrested by their authorities similar to that accorded by the authorities in this and other European countries to boats arrested for illegal trawling?
Mr. MacDonaldRepresentations were received by the Minister of Agriculture in July last from the skipper of the trawler "Willing Boys "in which the allegations set out in my hon. Friend's question were made. So far as I am aware, the statements in the first, third and fifth parts of the question are not disputed, but there is a conflict of opinion as to those referred to in the second and fourth parts of the question. At the instance of the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries a communication was addressed in August last to the Government of the Irish Free State on the subject, and I am sending to my hon. Friend a copy of that communication and of the reply received from the Government of the Irish Free State, the substance of which was, I understand, communicated at the time to the skipper's solicitor.