asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the numbers of fox pelts exported in each of the past three years, and if he will give an estimate of the present fox population.

There are no reliable statistics available on the numbers of fox pelts exported annually or on the present fox population. However, proposals for the monitoring by my Department of the export of fox pelts are being considered.

3.

asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the steps, if any, being taken to prevent the unauthorised and excessively cruel methods of trapping foxes, which is so prevalent at present.

The use of any method of trapping foxes which would be in contravention of the Wildlife Act, 1976, or of the regulations made under it is an offence and where there is evidence of such use the gardaí should be informed.

Is the Minister aware that this illegal practice is widespread? In reply to a Dáil Question about six months ago the Minister informed me that there had not been any prosecutions in the previous year for such illegal uses. Has the Minister advised his officials to pursue the matter?

Yes. I will be appointing 60 or 70 wildlife rangers within a matter of weeks. There were a large number of applicants for these posts and we have now finished the interviews. These rangers will assist about 500 forestry personnel who have been appointed "authorised persons" for the purpose of implementing the Wildlife Act. This protection force should be of considerable help to the gardaí. I agree that there is a problem and we are now facing up to it. It was largely due to lack of personnel.

Would the Minister agree with newspaper reports as recently as today and yesterday which state that parts of the Wildlife Act relating to cruelty and protected species are not being observed?

That is a separate question. Keep to the foxes.

I hope the recruitment of personnel will help enormously.

The Minister will admit that we have been lax.

That has now been changed.