Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for appearing today and I thank Mr. O'Donnell for the opening statement. It is unfortunate that no board members are here today, but that is where we find ourselves. This organisation is receiving €27 million in Exchequer funding but does not have a functioning board in place. The witnesses have come to the Committee of Public Accounts today to ask for an expansion in its services, or at least that is part of the narrative.

When preparing for today's meeting, I asked somebody where the IFI is headquartered - I did not know the building. The reply I got was that it was halfway between Ballymagash and Killinaskully. That is not a good look for an organisation that is making a case here for increased staffing and funding. Many of the issues we will address here would sit very comfortably in the world of the D'Unbelievables or Hall's Pictorial Weekly. Even the corporate slogan invites an element of satire, "It's about the fish".

The protective crews are not getting out when they should. We do not have the trained RIB drivers to get out in the nighttime. Invasive species are allowed to get out of hand before being brought back under control. Lapsed insurance policies are not noticed until there is a crash. There are property leasing arrangements to employees which could be described as loose at best. Whatever about the fish, there is definitely something fishy happening here. As usual in such situations, at the end of the day the taxpayer will be left on the hook here.

IFI has a corporate governance structure that is in freefall, with mass resignations from the board leaving a board that is non-quorate and non-functioning so that the Minister needs to step in and take the nuclear option, essentially. There have been a series of internal reports, protected disclosures and a Garda investigation relating to serious allegations of fraud. There are questions about dormant accounts funding. We have sense that taxpayers' money is being thrown around like snuff at a wake.

In the wider context of the request for increased staffing, there is no doubt that the role and remit of IFI are changing radically as we respond to the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crisis. As Mr. O'Donnell outlined in his opening statement, there are increased pressures on our waterways. Our fish populations are also in freefall. I know that the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has called on IFI to be more ambitious and there is a need for more ambition. Its business case to Mazars referred to a 61% increase in staffing to go from approximately 320 to closer to 520. I absolutely understand the need for that level of ambition. I would love to be going to the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, ahead of the budget to say that I support IFI's request for this extra funding, but it is difficult.

It is difficult as a Member of the Oireachtas and as a member of the Committee of Public Accounts, which has oversight of the spending of public money, to have confidence in an organisation and to make a case for increased funding. There is a whole range of issues here and I am aware that time is limited.

I will begin with Mr. O'Donnell and the issue of his work base and where he was working from. I think there are questions for Ms Bradley as well and for Ms Campion. The Comptroller and Auditor General takes issue with how adequately this is reflected in the statement of internal control. The decision to move to Ballyshannon was based on the fact that it is closer to Galway. I am very fond of Donegal but that is the first time I have ever seen anybody make a case for moving to Donegal because it is closer to anything. It might be closer to Galway, but Inland Fisheries Ireland also operates in my catchment area of Waterford. That is not close to Donegal. I believe it was agreed by the head of HR. Ms Bradley signed off on this. Could I ask for the rationale first?