Paddy Burke tackles Eamon Ryan on the IFI

Senator Paddy Burke


I am afraid we will not be saying anything about that to the Cathaoirleach, who is a Corkman.

Will the Deputy Leader ask the Minister, Deputy Ryan, to update the House on the report he is having written on Inland Fisheries Ireland? There is concern with regard to the former board members who were taken off the board by the Minister. They are very angry over what has happened because it puts them in limbo. They did nothing wrong but they have been removed from the board. They have been cleared by the Bradley report. They wonder why they have been removed from the board.

Will the Deputy Leader request from the Minister when the two ex-county managers will be reporting, if it is a report they are doing, or is it that they are just doing the work of the board at the moment, because there seems to be some confusion? I am aware the Minister, Deputy Ryan, said he was carrying out a report but if there is such a report, when will it be finalised and published?

There is no great confidence in Inland Fisheries Ireland at the moment. I do not see any activity in our areas and we are from the best fishing parts of the country. We have the best lakes and the best fishing river in Europe. We have both salmon and brown trout, as well as pike fishing, if one wants to go down that route. People have lost confidence in the fishing industry. It is a very significant tourist attraction to our area and it needs to be dealt with in the swiftest possible time. I hope the Minister will tell the House when the report will be finalised, when it will be published if he is going to do that, when will a new board will be constituted?