WIDESPREAD poaching of coarse fish is taking place and an illegal organisation from the North is reportedly involved, the Dail Public Accounts Committee was told.
Mr Sean Doherty TD asked the committee to attempt to find out the level of detection and conviction by Inland Waterway protection staff. Vast quantities of fish are being taken from the rivers and lakes every year illegally and there are, reports that an illegal organisation from the North has been involved," he said.
Mr John Ellis TD said the poaching of coarse fish from inland waterways was a serious subject.
"I want to know what is being done about the people who take freezer loads of fish out of the country to pay for their holidays. Are the fisheries people asking the Customs officials for help or asking the gardai?"
Mr Eric Byrne TD said he was concerned at the phrases used when, Inland, Fisheries, sought to recruit fisheries protection staff.
He said the advertisements specified "good education" and the applicant should be "free of defect or disease", and, of "good character". He said this was the language of the 1920s and 1930s when the State was founded and it was time it was changed.
The committee was told the accounting officer from the Department of the Marine would be advised of the queries before attending the committee on April 18th.