I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture for Ireland whether he has observed, from the last Report of his Department, that there is a steady decrease in the number of persons engaged in the fishing industry in Ireland and in the quantity and value of the fish taken; and will he inform the House as to the steps he proposes taking with a view to the development of the fishing industry on the Irish coasts.

The facts are as stated in the Question. The immediate cause of the shortage in fish landed was the stormy weather which prevailed in the autumn of 1906. Modern methods of fishing tend towards the employment of few men in proportion to the quantity of fish landed, and the general decline in population of Ireland has made itself felt in some maritime districts. This question is under consideration by the Royal Commission now inquiring into the condition of the West.