Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We will finish where we began, which is with the fish. This is what it is all about, or should be about anyway. I am not an expert in it and know very little about it. I live in the most inland county. It is the only county that does not touch a county that touches the sea. The witnesses are correct, in that I remember a lot of freshwater trout in the rivers. It is a long time since I had a fishing rod in my hand while riding around on a bicycle. I have just seen the headline figures in a recent report that show it has really been diminished. Whatever is the role of the Department and the IFI, I am not too sure how loudly they can bang the drum in the context of advocacy and protection, given that management is the IFI remit. It really needs to be done. It is not just the fish life it will kill. Habitats are being killed. This is catching up with us all in the human race as well. None of us will be exempt from this. Serious issues are being outlined here today and we have thrashed out a lot of them. Serious governance issues have arisen. A number of different areas have been covered and have been given a good thrashing out. We need to start to get into a better place. I cannot over-emphasise the importance of the role that IFI is doing. I wish the witnesses well in that, to get things onto a good footing with a new board, full transparency and full accountability and we will move on from there.