Kenny demands full overhaul of IFI after governance scandal
Kenny demands full overhaul of IFI after governance scandal - The Labour Party
Labour’s Eoghan Kenny TD said the appearance of the Inland Fisheries Ireland before the Public Accounts Committee today has revealed a pattern of unacceptable behaviour and failed governance at a State funded body. He said the evidence confirms the IFI knowingly failed to inform An Garda Síochána or their own employee that a vehicle involved in a serious road collision in Donegal in August 2021 was uninsured, and that the organisation’s conduct since raises fundamental questions about transparency, accountability and integrity. He said the IFI has serious questions to answer.
Deputy Kenny said:
“The facts laid before the committee today are shocking. A staff member of the IFI was involved in a car crash in Donegal in August 2021. Following that accident, the IFI provided this employee with insurance documentation which they later officially acknowledged on 16 November 2021 to be inaccurate. Despite knowing this, they failed to inform either the staff member or An Garda Síochána that the documentation was false. They knowingly allowed a staff member to proceed with paperwork that they knew to be invalid.
“The employee only learned that the insurance certificate was invalid when he received a solicitor’s letter from the other party involved in the crash. That is an appalling way for anyone to learn that an employer has exposed them to legal and personal risk.
“The bottom line is clear. The IFI knowingly failed to inform either the Gardaí or their own staff member that the vehicle involved was uninsured. This is disgraceful and completely inexcusable. Workers should never have to endure such an ordeal. This entire episode reflects poor governance, weak oversight and what can only be described as outright lies. It shows a culture inside the IFI.
“Today’s hearing added even more troubling revelations. The acting chief executive told the committee before the break that he knew nothing of the findings of the external investigation. Yet after the break he acknowledged he was in attendance at the February 2025 board meeting where those findings were presented. While the findings may not have been discussed in detail, he failed to disclose that he knew they had been received. It appeared he believed he could go through the entire committee meeting without acknowledging this. That is simply not acceptable.
“The IFI has lost the confidence of the public and of this committee. The organisation needs to be overhauled and rebuilt with proper governance, proper transparency and proper respect for its staff. Government must act now to establish a new structure that protects workers and restores trust in this important institution.”