asked the Minister for the Marine the steps, if any, he is taking to prevent the introduction of new virulent fish diseases into our natural fish stocks by the importation of foreign stocks for Irish farms.

Since 1972, the importation of live fish and the eggs or young of such fish, has been prohibited except under licence from my Department. In addition the health status of the fish being imported must be certified by the relevant authority in the country of origin on the basis of criteria set by my Department.

Where juvenile fish are concerned, these are examined at source by my Department's fish pathologist to establish their disease-free status before importation can be allowed. As an additional precaution, all materials involved in the transporting of imported fish must be destroyed.

It is my intention to encourage the relatively new fish-farming industry to become fully self-sufficient at all levels of production as soon as possible and thus virtually eliminate the need to import young fish.

I should like to thank the Minister for his reply. Will he give an assurance that our fisheries research centre is in a position to cope with the demands on it. Is a fish pathologist employed at the research centre?

I am satisfied we have adequate facilities at the fish research centre and we do have a fish pathologist. The Deputy will be pleased to learn the fish pathologist is the person about whom we had a debate in the House some weeks ago. I had the pleasure of visiting Abbotstown recently and I was impressed with the facilities available. I am satisfied the centre has the facilities to deal with any problems that may arise. I invite the Deputy to visit the centre to familiarise herself with the facilities.

I am pleased to accept that offer and I will discuss the matter with the Minister. The Minister said it was the Department's intention to make the fish farm self-sufficient in relation to young stock and I should like to know if he has any time scale in mind in regard to this? We are all too well aware of the havoc caused to our most lucrative oyster industry recently when a disease from beyond our shores affected stock and it is because of that that I would like to know the deadline the Minister has in mind. I accept it is most important that we become self-sufficient very soon because of the threat to our stock.

The Deputy will appreciate it is a question of the Department impressing upon the industry the importance of this move. The Minister, Deputy Daly, and myself had a meeting with those involved in fish farming and we impressed upon them the need to become self-sufficient. As far as shellfish imports are concerned, oyster, spat and clams, I should like to tell the Deputy that there are very strict regulations involved. We only permit imports from certain countries and from certain areas in those countries. I do not think it is necessary to name the countries from which we are not prepared to import shellfish because we had a full debate on this matter when dealing with the question of the bonamia. I should like to tell the House that a licence is required for the movement of all bi-valve shellfish, oysters, mussels and clams. That is accepted by the trade. We regret the inconvenience but the quality is of primary importance to us. Samples are being taken from all areas and the fish pathologist has advised me that there is no evidence of bonamia now except where it originated, in Cork harbour. Unfortunately, we have not yet established how it arrived there.

Is the Minister satisfied that bonamia is confined to Cork harbour? Has he been able to identify the source of the disease or, if not, when does he expect to have some information as to how it occurred?

We are satisfied that the disease is confined to Cork harbour but, regrettably, we have not yet established the source. I cannot tell the House when we will have this information but we are working on it and we will try to have some details as quickly as possible.

Is the laboratory technician who was involved in research in the area still working in the Abbotstown laboratory or has he been transferred? Is there a problem in regard to the research into this disease and is this why its exact cause and source has not been established?

I presume that the Deputy is referring to the fish pathologist?

Yes.

The fish pathologist is still in Abbotstown and is fully responsible for all tests carried out there.

The time for ordinary Questions has expired and I must now deal with Questions nominated for priority.