Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I again request a debate on matters regarding Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI. I am sure the Leader is familiar with Aasleagh Lodge and the Erriff Fishery which is in a beautiful part of the world in south Mayo on the border with Galway. Up to 2016 it was a thriving tourist amenity in the area.

In 2016, IFI decided to sell the lodge and cottages and retain a salmon fishery in State ownership. To do so, it was necessary to move the working fishery base from the centre of the property to the site along the Leenane to Westport Road. The completion of the sale, as proposed by the previous CEO of IFI would be a win-win for the State. There would be an investment in the lodge for tourism and maintenance of the fisheries.

Shortly after the arrival of the new CEO in 2020, the board withdrew the property from sale in favour of an alternative proposal. While the house and cottages are abandoned it seems that money is now being poured into the offices in the old coach house that is located "slap bang in the middle of the property", to quote the current CEO at a meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts on 6 July.

From the transcript of the hearing, I learned that the IFI has recently spent €219,000 plus VAT on the offices. This property can never now be sold or repurposed while the working base and offices remain smack bang in the middle of the property. At the committee meeting IFI was asked if the expenditure on the offices was approved by the board when the future use of the property was uncertain. The head of finance answered that the expenditure was approved when the board approved the capital plan in May 2020. However, there is no reference to Aasleagh Lodge in the capital plan. IFI rules require that all capital expenditure in excess of €50,000 must be laid before the board with the rationale outlined by the CEO before the project can proceed. This did not happen. I am running out of time, but I will resume this again. I ask the Leader to write to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the CEO of IFI.Perhaps she could even arrange for a site visit for interested Members to Aasleagh Lodge to see what is going on there, the state it is in and the plans for this once beautiful resource for the area of Mayo and Galway.