Government must act on Inland Fisheries Ireland review
Government must act on Inland Fisheries Ireland review - The Labour Party
Labour’s representative on the Public Accounts Committee Eoghan Kenny TD has called on the Government to to follow through without delay on its Programme for Government commitment to carry out a full and independent review of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).
Deputy Kenny said:
“Following Inland Fisheries Ireland’s deeply concerning appearance before the Public Accounts Committee, the Minister must take action. The Programme for Government includes a clear commitment to carry out a full review. That commitment must now be honoured in full and without further delay. This cannot be allowed to drift on while serious governance issues remain unresolved, complaints go unanswered, and staff concerns continue to be raised internally and externally.
“As a member of the Public Accounts Committee, it was deeply concerning to see basic governance and basic record keeping were all found wanting. This was not a minor oversight. It was a serious corporate governance failure.
“Following an answer to a parliamentary question I submitted last week, it emerged that seven separate investigations took place within Inland Fisheries Ireland between 2021 and 2025. That is a significant number for an organisation of this size and should immediately raise alarm bells for the Minister and the Department.
“The issues I raised include the use of uninsured vehicles and the provision of false documentation to a staff member, which was then intended to be given to An Garda Síochána. These are not trivial matters. They point to a culture where rules are treated as optional and where staff are placed in impossible positions because of management failures..
“The public deserves to know what has gone wrong, who is responsible, and what steps will be taken to fix it. Transparency and accountability are not optional extras. They are the minimum standard that should apply to any public body.
“I am calling on the Minister to immediately confirm the terms and timeline of the full review promised in the Programme for Government, and to set out clearly what actions will be taken to address governance failures in Inland Fisheries Ireland.”