asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he has any plans to subsidise diesel and oil for fishermen.

There is no proposal to subsidise diesel and oil for fishermen at present but I have arranged to meet representatives of fishermen today to discuss this question.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that in many instances it takes a ton of oil to catch a ton of fish; and in view of the current prices being paid for white fish and also the overheads which fishermen have to face at the moment, would he agree that they are working at a considerable loss?

It seems that since this Government came to power the income from fishing has increased very much. In actual fact it has doubled.

Is that not astonishing? You are a very clever Parliamentary Secretary.

That is a factual statement.

That is because of all the extra licences; the new West Cork licences.

There is a lot of cod over there.

I think the cod is over there.

All the butties have licences.

Your butty day is over now. We know what you were doing with——

Could we please have an end to the cross talk?

Am I to take it that the Parliamentary Secretary is satisfied that the price of 5p and 6p a pound being paid for fish at the moment is satisfactory and is adding to the fishermen's income? I think I heard him state that their income has increased considerably under this Government.

Doubled, he said.

Every effort is being made by the Department and by BIM to ensure that fishermen will get the highest possible income for their fish by securing markets and helping in every way we possibly can.

In view of the fact that there is a scheme in operation for a rebate on oil to CIE, and the millions they get from the Exchequer, surely the Parliamentary Secretary should consider giving a rebate to fishermen? Is the policy of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to kill the fishing industry after the work that has gone into it in the last ten years, in the same way as the pig industry?

Except in West Cork.

The Department are not killing the fishing industry and the fishermen quite appreciate our efforts.

Will the Parliamentary Secretary state categorically that his Department are not prepared to give any form of subsidy to the fishermen whose costs have escalated out of all proportion and reaffirm what he said—that their income has doubled over the past 12 months?

The Parliamentary Secretary gave the reply that there is no proposal to subsidise diesel and oil for fishermen at present but that I have arranged to meet representatives of the fishermen today to discuss this question.

This Government are trying to put fishermen out of business as they put pig producers out of business.

Next question, please.