Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to have the opportunity to raise this issue on behalf of the Barrow River Piscatorial Society. I thank my colleagues, Deputies Martin Ferris and Martin Kenny, for their support in this regard. I have been dealing with the society for over a year. It is very active in the community and has very serious concerns about the mainly commercial pollution of the River Barrow and the knock-on effect on fishing stocks and the river in general. It has continuously raised the issue with Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, which seems to be passing the buck or not taking the matter seriously. When the society came to me, I endeavoured to organise a meeting for it with Inland Fisheries Ireland and there was correspondence back and forth. Unfortunately, Inland Fisheries Ireland has not committed to a meeting. The society has the right to request a meeting and I do not see the problem with granting such request. We raise the issue to ask the Minister to ensure that the chief executive of Inland Fisheries Ireland, Ciaran Byrne, meets with the Barrow River Piscatorial Society so that it can raise its concerns. It believes it is being treated as a second class citizen because groups with an interest in other rivers have been granted meetings with Inland Fisheries Ireland.

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