Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I move amendment No. 6:

In page 15, to delete lines 6 to 8 and substitute the following:

"(4) (a) IFI shall establish and manage a forum ("national inland fisheries forum") to facilitate stakeholder input into policy formulation. This forum shall consist of broad representation across such stakeholders of the inland fisheries sector as IFI considers relevant.

(b) The terms of reference, including membership, of the forum established under subsection 4(a) will be set by IFI with the agreement of the Minister.".

The Deputies will recall that the amendments tabled by Deputies Coveney and McManus were discussed in detail on Committee Stage and that in the course of that debate an undertaking was given to review the subsection and bring forward a more detailed provision on Report Stage. The purpose of this subsection is to oblige Inland Fisheries Ireland to establish and manage a national inland fisheries forum, the terms of reference of which will be subject to the agreement of the Minister.

The amendment I propose seeks to clarify the role of the national inland fisheries forum without restricting the ability of Inland Fisheries Ireland to manage and operate the forum. This forum is seen as a means of formalising stakeholder input into policy formulations and will act as a conduit to provide advice and inform policy deliberation on the conservation, protection and management of all species of inland fisheries.

Deputies Coveney and McManus seek to have the terms of reference for this forum subject to consultation with the relevant joint Oireachtas committee. The establishment and management of this forum is primarily an operational matter for Inland Fisheries Ireland.

Given the Department's corporate governance role over this body, the legislation makes provision for the terms of reference to be subject to the agreement of the Minister. It is not appropriate or necessary for the Oireachtas joint committee to be part of that process. The agreement of the Minister should be sufficient to ensure that the terms of reference of the forum are fit for purpose. Any additional consultation requirements would unnecessarily delay or complicate the establishment of the forum.

There is nothing to prevent the Oireachtas joint committee making a submission to the Department or to Inland Fisheries Ireland on the operation of the forum and I assure the House that any submission received will be given due consideration.

The amendment tabled by Deputy McManus also refers to regional sub-fora. As has been maintained previously, the workings of the forum will be primarily a matter for Inland Fisheries Ireland and do not require to be enshrined in legislation. I would expect, however, that this forum would be managed on a regional basis. It is clearly in the nature of inland fisheries that regional as well as sectoral input is vital in the operation of such a forum. A country-wide input is critical to the successful operation of the forum.

The Deputies will recall that an undertaking was also given to make a copy of the draft terms of reference for the forum informally available to members of the committee to illustrate how it is envisaged that the forum will operate. For the reasons I have set out, I cannot accept the amendments tabled by Deputies Coveney and McManus and ask that amendment No. 6 be accepted.

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