Is the Minister aware that for many weeks past there has been wholesale poaching of salmon in the form of drift-netting at sea along the west coast? To my knoweldge there have not been apprehensions or prosecutions in respect of these offences.

The Deputy would need to put down a separate question on that.

The Deputy may be interested to hear that more than £100,000 worth of illegal nets has been confiscated mainly on the south-west, the-west and the north-west coast, and that a substantial number of prosecutions are pending. Two naval vessels have been engaged whole-time on this operation, dealing primarily with illegal fishing and in addition the full co-operation of the Garda has been forthcoming with the officers of the boards of conservators. Never before in the history of the State has there been such an all-out drive conducted against illegal salmon fishing. The Deputy is well aware of that. He knows that I am making up for the defects in policy and in attitude during the four years of Coalition Government in this respect in particular.

That old sweet song.

Is the Minister aware that there is illegal fishing seven days a week off the west coast?

Bad habits are difficult to eradicate.

The Minister promised to resign if this illegal fishing could not be eliminated.

There has been the bad habit, too, of voting for Fianna Fáil but we are eradicating that also.