asked the Minister or the Marine, in view of the insistence by inspectors of his Department that herring fishermen carry adequate stocks of ice, if he has given the go-ahead for the much needed ice plant in Cobh and Bally-cotton, County Cork.

I have recently sanctioned expenditure by BIM out of 1988 capital moneys on additional ice-making facilities in County Cork. The extent of additional expenditure on ice-making capacity during 1989 in the Cork area is now under active consideration. I envisage additional plant being installed at either or both locations mentioned during 1989.