asked the Minister for Fisheries if he will state when he proposes to circulate to Deputies, as promised over four months ago, the White Paper on the intentions of the Government regarding the Report of the Sea Fisheries Conference.

I am not aware of such a promise as that referred to in the question. I would refer the Deputy to the reply which I made to a question bearing on recommendations by the Sea Fisheries Conference, which was addressed to me by Deputy Carney on the 26th October last.

asked the Minister for Fisheries if he will state, in detail, how he proposes to give effect to Article 13 of the Report on Sea Fisheries Conference, and what steps, if any, he has taken to this end.

Following considerable correspondence and verbal negotiations with the Chairman of the Irish Fishermen's Association, an offer was made by me of a grant-in-aid to enable that body, when reconstructed and registered as a friendly society, to undertake the work of organisation contemplated in Recommendation 13 of the Report presented by the Fishery Conference which I convened last year. That offer has not been accepted.

Can the Minister tell us why it was not accepted?

That is a matter which the Deputy had better ask the Fishermen's Association.

Is the Minister not aware that there were certain strings attached to his offer that made it unacceptable to the Association?

If there were strings they were strings agreed to by the chairman of the Fishermen's Association in consultation with me.