asked the Minister for Defence the plans, if any, to purchase high-speed in-shore craft for fishery protection; and the details of any such plans.

I have no plans to purchase high-speed inshore craft for fishery protection.

Would the Minister not accept that there is a widely held expert opinion that one of the best ways in which to preserve our salmon stocks would be to purchase this kind of vessel rather than spending resources——

That is a separate question.

I am asking the Minister to accept the basic premise behind the question.

The question asks if the Minister has plans and the Deputy is now proceeding to discuss the merits or demerits of doing it. This is a stratagem about which the Chair must be careful.

Can I not ask the Minister why he has no plans to purchase such craft?

In reply to that question and the other supplementaries posed by the Deputy, I should like to inform him that salmon fishery protection is not the primary or direct concern of my Department. As the Deputy knows, at present the Naval Service provide assistance to the Boards of Conservators and to the Garda Síochána in the enforcement of salmon fishing regulations. Therefore, in the first place, it would be a matter for the Boards of Conservators to acquire such vessels if they thought them necessary.

If the Boards of Conservators thought that such vessels were necessary, would he consider purchasing such vessels?

Any question in regard to the Boards of Conservators should be directed to my colleague, the Minister for Fisheries. I would not be in a position to answer those questions.

Well, the salmon are being slaughtered and they are falling between the two Ministers.

Whatever can be done to try and conserve them is being done now. It was not done by the Deputy's party when they were in government.

It must be the only thing they are doing.

Is the Deputy back?

The Minister was lucky to get back.