Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

He would have known everything that maybe even the Minister himself would not have known, that could have happened in the background. He did a lot of work and, as a fisherman, often talked about Inland Fisheries Ireland and the various spats between anglers and other hijinks that fisherpeople would have got up to. It is fair to say that IFI has been hit by a string of controversies. When we look at the work that IFI does and that other Members have outlined, it has made a great contribution and is an integral part of our agricultural landscape. I often think of the organisation as being involved in our communities, getting young people involved and partnering with various groups. It is maybe not something that people traditionally think of when they think of IFI, but when I think of IFI, that is what I think of. It is a great shame that there has been a series of mismanagement issues, if I could put it so politely. I do not need to go through all of them. I know these issues have been largely resolved but there are still outstanding complaints about the treatment of staff and the behaviour of some staff outside work.

There were up to ten protected disclosures. Everyone here knows I take protected disclosures seriously. For people to go to that level speaks to the seriousness of what has been happening or allowed to happen within IFI, possibly for quite some time. I understand that criminal investigations have begun. I am sad to be standing here, saying all these things about Inland Fisheries Ireland, because of many people's vision of it. It has been said here that it is unusual, rare and alarming for such a body to have no current board. That speaks to the drastic seriousness of the situation. The Minister has left the Chamber and I do not want to blow smoke, but if that was a step that had to be taken, it speaks to the serious nature of what happened within it. It is disappointing that that had to happen. I keep saying it because I feel it is a huge disappointment.

It brings us to a stage where it is reasonable to say that there needs to be a full review of the functions of IFI. That full review is fully warranted. For the Minister to have taken such a step as to leave it without a board, and to bring in two people, we need to look at it. Does IFI have the capacity to do the work set out in the legislation? What dearth would there be if IFI ceased to function in its current format? I am not for one second suggesting that it should cease to function but there needs to be a serious review of the functions of Inland Fisheries Ireland.

I will not add much more because much has been said, but it is a great shame that we are having to have this conversation. I hope that a way forward is found and that a full board and functioning IFI can be found. I do not just think of it as part of our agricultural, ecological or biological landscape, or any other landscape, but I also think of the great community work that it does. Sometimes, we do not think of inland as going all the way into the middle of Ireland. Even around Dublin and other areas, it does a lot of work and has many volunteers. I would like to see the organisation fully reconstituted as it needs to be, with all of these controversies and issues being eliminated, so there is a fully functioning board in future and the important work can continue as necessary.