Inland Fisheries
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-19
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Mark Duffy (FG), Labour Panel

I thank the Minister of State. He is here on behalf of the Department and the Minister and I thank him for taking the Commencement matter. However, I am none the wiser in terms of the issue I raised. The latest assessment of Ireland's breeding cormorant population indicates a broadly stable picture since the mid-1980s. However, the context in which I am raising this is the rapid and significant decline of the salmon population on the River Moy. That is clearly outlined in the Commencement matter. It has been outlined here that further surveys and monitoring will be done in the coming years. That is quite vague in terms of when, what, where and how. I would welcome the Minister of State's support in getting us a more considered reply from the Department. We cannot farm off all responsibility when these are State bodies. There is a clear ask here as a public representative on the floor of the Seanad this morning for this survey. This is on behalf of people in my community who are working constructively and proactively to better understand and better react and respond to the decline of the salmon population. They deserve a better and more considered answer on this. I would welcome the Minister of State's support in achieving that because, as I said, a lot more can be addressed and answered in respect of the important Commencement matter I have raised this morning.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:45+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-19