Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There are no permits on the River Shannon. One can fish there to one's heart's delight and not pay for a permit. This is total discrimination. The IFI is discriminating against an area. It was the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board which put the fee in place originally. I remember when the trout fishermen came in here and there was chaos. It almost brought down a Government.

All of a sudden, the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board decided to bring these charges in to raise money. How can IFI justify this? There are very few rivers in this position and they are all in our area. I live on a farm and I cannot fish on the lake on our land. I cannot fish in the Derryhippoo river without a permit. What kind of country is this? Talk about rivers running free. Either bring the damn thing in or get rid of it. Inland Fisheries Ireland has a choice. Is it going to extend the fee across the country or end the discrimination?