Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

From the very outset of our consideration of this legislation, I had a real sense that we did not want boards that would rule anyone in or out. One of the difficulties we had with the outgoing boards concerned the representative nature of some of them. While the individuals thereon did very useful and honourable public service in all the cases of which I am aware, the boards' interests were not served well by having people appointed thereto on a representative basis.

From the outset, it has been maintained that the board of Inland Fisheries Ireland should be small and should contain a strong focus relevant to its business and to the general issue of good corporate governance, but which would not be representative per se. This is of particular importance given the significant annual budget for which the new body will be responsible. The Bill provides that potential appointees to the board must have had experience of or have shown capacity in one or more of a number of areas, including recreational fisheries, commercial fisheries and ownership of fisheries. These competencies are no more or less important than the others listed in the Bill, such as competencies associated with business or commercial affairs, environmental or biodiversity matters, and legal or regulatory affairs, all of which are essential to the effective stewardship of a State-sponsored body. It is my intention that members appointed to the board will have among them the necessary expertise and competencies to lead Inland Fisheries Ireland to fully deliver on its potential.

It is not necessary, nor would it be fair, to restrict any potential appointees to the board to particular criteria. Aside from being appointed to the board of Inland Fisheries Ireland, representatives of the angling and commercial sectors who have a genuine interest in inland fisheries and who wish to make a legitimate contribution to the future development of the resource will have the opportunity to participate in the new inland fisheries forum. Accordingly, I cannot accept the proposed amendment.

I would imagine that the comment of the Minister of State, Conor Lenihan, on dual competency refers to the fact that one often meets people who do have dual competency. One may be a very keen angler and also a lawyer or accountant. One may have a competency in industrial relations in addition to legal affairs. We all hold dual competencies and I presume it was in that regard that the Minister of State referred to them.

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