Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 February 2023
65. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will carry out a full review of the role and governance of Inland Fisheries Ireland, in light of recent revelations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9982/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI want to ask the Minister of State if he will carry out a full review of the role and governance of Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, in light of recent revelations and if he will make a statement on the matter.
On 14 February the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, appointed Mr. Tom Barry and Mr. Seamus Neely under section 18(5) of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010 to perform the functions of the IFI pending the appointment of a new, full board through the statutory appointments process, with the support of the Public Appointments Service, PAS. This ensures that the IFI is in a position to continue to perform its functions effectively. In addition to carrying out the core functions of the IFI, set out under section 7 of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010, the Minister has also instructed Mr. Barry and Mr. Neely to oversee the preparation of a governance review of the IFI, to be delivered within a period of three to six months.
To be clear, are Mr. Barry and Mr. Neely conducting the governance review or are they preparing a plan for a governance review? Could the Minister of State clarify that? What is the expected timeline for the new board to be appointed? Does the Minister of State have an indication of when we might expect to see that? What is the process by which that will be conducted?
The most important aspect is the wider investigation into activities. Much has been said and reported about this. Will the Minister of State update the House on any such investigations?
The role of Mr. Barry and Mr. Neely is to oversee the preparation of a governance review of the IFI and it is their job to complete that within three to six months. The timeline for the appointment of new members to the board will be based on the availability of the Public Appointments Service to carry out that function. I cannot comment on how long that will take without asking that body, but if the Deputy reverts to me, I will give him an answer on that.
As for the broader question of the current position on the protected disclosures that have been made relating to matters relating to the IFI, all the protected disclosures are being investigated, as is appropriate, and these investigations are being carried out in accordance with the provisions of protected disclosure legislation and the established protected disclosure policies in the Department and the IFI. It would not be appropriate to comment on issues identified in the protected disclosures while those processes are under way, but any follow-up actions required on foot of them will be taken.
In regard to the sequencing, I am not entirely clear. The two gentlemen have responsibility for overseeing the preparation of a review, but will they conduct the review in that three- to six-month period? Will the Department wait for the conclusion of that protected disclosure process? Will it inform the future functioning of the IFI? Are the Minister and the Department in a position to outline or indicate that they will consider all the information and evidence that comes before those two processes, namely, the governance review and the process of investigations into those protected disclosures? As we might expect, they are very relevant to each other.
This has been an ongoing issue within my part of the country. The importance of the IFI within its remit of protecting rivers and lakes is enormous, so it is vital we get a resolution to the ongoing challenges relating to governance and accountability within the IFI. There is a significant issue relating to the withdrawal of services within the board of the IFI, but the Minister of State's response to the issues Deputy O'Rourke put to the House was very unsatisfactory. The previous board of the IFI failed to get satisfactory assurance on issues over several months and notified the Comptroller and Auditor General via the annual statements of internal control. To date, accounts have not yet been signed off for 2021. This has been raised at meetings of the Committee of Public Accounts on numerous occasions. At the moment, there is an interim measure, with two former county managers having been appointed. That is very concerning, yet the Minister of State is not giving us confidence that this is being fully addressed. Is an internal or independent investigation going on within the IFI to bring to a head the issues relating to financial and other irregularities within the agency?
Mr. Barry and Mr. Neely have been charged with carrying out this governance review, which amounts to an external review of the governance within the IFI. To give some information on the sequencing for Deputy O'Rourke, it includes an examination of the respective roles of the IFI board and executive. It will be completed within three to six months and include an implementation plan, and the delivery of the plan will be overseen by the new board. The responsibility for the implementation of the findings of the review will be given to the incoming board, in consultation with the Department.
To respond to Deputy Dillon, I regret I cannot say more. I understand the frustration, given this is a serious situation, but, as he will appreciate, protected disclosures have been made and due process has to be followed. Having been delegated power from the Minister, I cannot come to the House and comment on what is happening in a live protected disclosure process. I cannot interfere in that process. It has to be done by the book. The entire process will be followed exactly as laid down in law.
