Inland Fisheries Ireland subject of significant number of protected disclosures, Eamon Ryan says

Almost 10 protected disclosures have been made alleging wrongdoing within Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan has said.

Mr Ryan told the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment that he was not authorised to divulge in public how many disclosure have been made in the fisheries protection body, which has been riven by internal disputes over the past year.

However, asked by Fine Gael TD for Mayo Alan Dillon did the numbers extend into double digits, Mr Ryan said no but added that the total number was in “high single digits”.

The ongoing problems in the IFI saw five members of the board, including two chairs, resign from their positions during 2022 and early 2023, amid a breakdown in the relationship between the board and the management, and also differences between members of the board.

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The resignations left the remaining three non-executive members of the board inquorate and unable to make a number of key decisions.

In February, Mr Ryan took the rare step of removing the three remaining members of the IFI board on a no-fault basis on February 14th.

[ The civil war within Inland Fisheries Ireland ]

He appointed two former county managers, Tom Barry and Seamus Neely, to perform the functions of the board. He has also asked them to prioritise consideration of the protected disclosures, as well as a governance review to be completed within six months.

The thrust of questions to the Minister from Mr Dillon and from the Galway Senator, Sean Kyne, focused on why he had focused his actions solely on the board and not on issues and problems in the wider organisation itself.

Last year, Mr Ryan asked a barrister, Conleth Bradley, to conduct a review of the board and its governance, and to determine if any members needed to be removed. Mr Bradley’s report concluded no members were required to be removed and recommended changes in governance.

The Minister said that the changes had not been implemented by the board but Mr Kyne countered that it did not have the time to do so as the board received the report only in late September, over two months after its completion.

Mr Ryan said that he had conversations with former chairwoman Frances Lucy, who resigned over Christmas, on the matter. “I drew the conclusion that the board was not functioning,” he said.

Rather than reconstituting the board, he said he had taken the decision to remove the remaining members.

[ Eamon Ryan criticised at Fine Gael meeting over decision to stand down Inland Fisheries board ]

Mr Kyne alleged the Minister had sacked members of the board. Committee chair Brian Leddin said that was not correct and that they had been removed. Mr Kyne replied the chair was being pedantic and added the reputation of the board members had been impugned.

Senator Timmy Dooley of Fianna Fáil said it was almost unprecedented for a board to be removed in this manner and asked if the Minister or officials had held exit discussions with the three members who were removed on a no-fault basis. Mr Ryan said there had been no discussions but added that his officials told him that any of the three members could reapply for a position on the board.

Mr Ryan suggested that the internal disputes had become political and he was not going to engage in it.

“Could it have been restored as a board with the appointment of new members? I came to a clear decision we would have the ongoing [pattern] of accusation and counter-accusation,” he said.

[ Eamon Ryan removes remaining three board members of Inland Fisheries Ireland ]

Mr Ryan said he had met Mr Barry and Mr Neely on Monday.

“They said to me that they had a sense of a very professional, functioning organisation,” he said. He said they told him it had not been hindered in carrying out its duties and completing its accounts. He said both appointees told him that morale was strong in the body despite its difficulties.