§ Mr. Frank Maguireasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why he has decided that Fermanagh local authority will not be responsible for the ordinary local government functions.
§ Mr. Frank Maguireasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) why the Department of Agriculture is involved in those functions which have been given to the local people and being carried out by other district councils in Northern Ireland; why Fermanagh is being treated in an exceptional way; and if he will take note of local resentment against his action and the actions of his civil servants in Stormont regarding this;
(2) in the light of the Fermanagh Council's acceptance of his Department's being the navigation authority, why he has not been prepared to consider other than minor modifications in relation to the bye-laws; and why he would not allow the local authority to act on an agency basis.
§ Mr. DunnI presume these Questions refer to the Lough Erne (Navigation) Byelaws 1978 No. 43. The Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland is both the drainage and navigation authority for Lough Erne and the owner of the bed and soil of the lough, and in that capacity the Department has made these byelaws.
Preparation of the byelaws involved extensive consultations with interested bodies over a period of four years. In addition to formal consultations with Fermanagh District Council, much of the Department's discussion of the proposed bye-laws was with the Lough Erne Advisory Committee on which Fermanagh District Council is represented. Details of the Department's functions and those of the advisory committee were given in the answer to the hon. Member for Epping Forest (Mr Biggs-Davison) on 21st February 1978.—[Vol. 944, c. 625.]