§ Mr. MacVEAGHasked the Chief Secretary whether the attention of the Department of Agriculture for Ireland has been called to the repeated complaints with regard to the present conditions and prospects of the fishing industry in Ireland; whether he can state what steps are being taken by the Department to deal with these complaints; and whether he can arrange to devote a larger sum to the preservation and promotion of this important industry?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Department are fully aware of the condition of the Irish fisheries. The funds at present available under the Agricultural and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act for the purposes of fisheries are (1) a sum of £10,000 a year, of which nearly half is absorbed in protecting the fishing grounds within the three-mile limit; and (2) a small surplus of about £3,000 a year, allocated by the Department with the concurrence of the Agricultural Board, from the sums available for agricultural purposes. These funds are being used to the fullest advantage, and it is not possible to augment them from the Department's present resources.