Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 25 April 2024

Public Accounts Committee

Financial Statements 2022: Inland Fisheries Ireland

9:30 am

Dr. Cathal Gallagher:

I will start and then hand over to my colleague to answer some of the details. The loss and non-prosecution of those cases impacts both at the site and the local river, as the Deputy said, because people have a deep interest in and are protecting these rivers, as do our staff. It is unfortunate.

The positive side of it is that we are an agency out there and we are doing that work in many places and not all of the prosecutions failed. As an agency we are also actively trying to restore these catchments. The staff have been impacted by this issue and, as the Deputy mentioned, the other issues we have. One of the big focuses I have had from the chair of the board and the board itself is that we want to address the morale and to rebuild the confidence in the organisation as we move forward. That is critically important. Mr. Fox might address the specifics of the River Rye.

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