Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not like to raise issues such as this one but I am very concerned about what is going on with Inland Fisheries Ireland, in particular in regard to the Department and the CEO. The amazing thing is allegations were made of 16 uninsured vehicles, one which was in a crash and was not insured; locally arranged leasing of Aasleagh Lodge to a member of the staff as a guest house with no transparency, no process or no financial arrangements and inappropriate disbursement of Dormant Accounts Fund money to a club that did not exist at the time, but which was then created. Except in the past year, the protection crews in certain coastal areas did not do any work, resulting in the need to mobilise a mobile response unit at a considerable cost. What happened then? There was no investigation into the CEO or the Department but the Minister appointed somebody to investigate the board. To be fair to the board, it had signalled all of these problems and issues but could not get a response from the CEO. The board did everything that was asked of it. It was a marvellous board and it had a great chairman, but there were difficulties with the CEO and the Department.

As the Acting Chairman, Deputy Durkan, knows, because he is here as long as I am, the State is never investigated or prosecuted or has anything done to it. It amazes me that this is put into the statement on internal control, which is submitted on 31 March every year, that the matters of concern are then reported to the Comptroller and Auditor General and that the board instructs the CEO and executive to arrange an external investigation into these matters and submit the report to the board and the Comptroller and Auditor General. That proves the board did everything right. Why then did the Minister need to appoint somebody to investigate the board? Why does he not get somebody to investigate the CEO or the Department? The only place this goes on is in Russia with Putin. It would not happen anywhere else. It is going on in this country.

I want to ask a few questions of the Minister. Where were the auditors and when they saw these problems, what did they do about them? The Comptroller and Auditor General is preparing a report. Where is that report at this stage? Why is this not sent to the Standards in Public Office Commission? Why are they not investigating this? Maybe the Garda Síochána should be investigating it.

What does the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, do? He appoints someone to investigate the board. The board, that is there in a voluntary capacity, is a well-run board that did a great job. There have been many difficulties with the chief executives, there have been many difficulties with the Department and now we have a situation where the board is being investigated.

I am sick and tired. I am coming into this House for a long time. I saw what went on with the local authority. We saw the "RTÉ Investigates" programme. What did the public service do? Like it always does, it covered up. Nothing has been done since the "RTÉ Investigates" programme. If it was the Acting Chairman, Deputy Durkan, or if it was Deputy MacSharry or any other Deputy in this House, we would have the Standards in Public Office Commission down on us in a minute. They would not have to be even told. Where are they now? Why are they not investigating Inland Fisheries Ireland? Why are they not investigating the local authorities? Are there two laws in this country? Is there one for the public service, one for the elected representatives, one for the board members and one for the CEO? That is all I want to say for now.

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