Dr. Cathal Gallagher:

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, and to the committee for the opportunity to appear before it today, and discuss the financial statements for 2022. We are pleased to be here to engage with the committee on our work, our challenges, and our new opportunities as we at Inland Fisheries Ireland look to a future with confidence.

I am the deputy CEO at IFI and I am here in that capacity on an interim basis. As advised to the committee in advance of the March meeting by the CEO, Mr O’Donnell is ill and continues to be on leave.

I am joined by supporting witnesses: Suzanne Campion, head of finance and corporate services; Barry Fox, head of operations; Paula Byrne, interim head of HR; and Michael Cusack, field services manager.

The following will cover some overarching topics and themes regarding IFI’s financial statements and accounts for 2022. IFI’s responsive staff diligently protect, conserve and manage Ireland’s freshwater species and their habitats which work is happening in an unpredictable and rapidly-changing environmental world.

IFI is a key State environmental agency that continues to deliver high-quality public services and supports. The organisation has a statutory responsibility for Ireland's 74,000 km of rivers and streams, together with 128,000 km of lake. We also have a coastline patrol jurisdiction out to 12 nautical miles. Our staff have achieved considerable success in tackling illegal fishing, water pollution, fish kills and habitat destruction. We are also focused on habitat restoration and the promotion of Ireland as an attractive angling destination on the international stage.

Inland Fisheries Ireland, through its newly announced national barriers programme, is addressing the issue of water quality and particularly in reference to hydromorphological impacts as outlined in Ireland's third cycle of the river basin management plan. Government funding of €110 million has been approved for this initiative to remove, mitigate and where possible lessen the ecological impact of river barriers on migrating and resident fish species. This is critically important for Atlantic salmon, European eels and lamprey. Over the life of the programme it is expected that 257 barriers will be mitigated. It is expected that planning and environmental consensus will be critical to expedite this work. IFI has just recruited a new head of its barrier mitigation division and she will be building a new team to support this very important programme. We are very grateful to its two sponsors, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.

IFI has endured a period of instability but we have taken consistent actions to address the shortcomings involved. We are leading and managing extensive change to systematically reform IFI. We are determined to implement these continuous improvements to rebuild governance that will create long-standing and better outcomes for all our stakeholders. Last year we received legal advice that certain individuals did not possess the delegated authority to initiate prosecutions on behalf of IFI. To rectify this issue going forward in June 2023 delegations were put in place expressly granting the necessary authority to the correct individuals to bring and institute criminal proceedings on behalf of IFI.

With regard to Aasleagh Lodge and cottages, IFI has consistently sought various solutions to maximise the return to the taxpayer of this unique State asset. We are satisfied that the board was appraised of all expenditure on the complex and we now have an agreed board resolution to sell Aasleagh cottages only and to upgrade and repurpose Aasleagh Lodge, consolidating the Aasleagh complex as an international research hub for the national salmonid index catchment on the River Erriff. It will also provide a training and education centre for IFI.

The EY governance review rightly identified a strong passion for working in or with IFI. The review said that the implementation of the new programme of work, to which the board and the senior management team are wholly committed, will set IFI up for future success. My colleagues and I look forward to progressing all the recommendations that feature in this review. It must be noted that while IFI is a high-performing organisation we have been limited in our ambition due to constrained financial and human resources over a number of years.

Aquatic environments are particularly vulnerable to the threat posed by biodiversity loss, climate change, and the spread of invasive species. The continued introduction and spread of invasive species nationally is a serious environmental issue. IFI believes that without effective legislation and a robust enforcement plan that is multiagency focused this issue will have significant economic consequences for future generations. IFI has experience in this regard with its management of lagarosiphon major on Lough Corrib over a ten-year period. Separately, European eel numbers have fallen dramatically and wild salmon numbers returning to Ireland have dropped from 1.7 million in 1975 to just over 170,000 in 2022. This is a catastrophic decline in less than one generation.

In June, IFI will host, along with our parent Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and on behalf of the State, a week-long event focused on the conservation and the plight of Atlantic salmon. This is being hosted in partnership with the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization. At this meeting international State actors and non-governmental organisations will discuss and agree plans for the future conservation and management of this iconic species. Last November, IFI addressed the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action regarding the recommendations in the Ireland's citizens' assembly report on biodiversity loss. IFI's objectives are reflected closely in the committee's own recommendations contained in the published report. We believe that serious consideration must be given to expanding the powers of authorised officers from various agencies to enforce environmental and wildlife legislation in a wider context. This needs to be coupled with a significant review of the fines associated with wildlife, water quality, and habitat destruction in order to deter those involved and to promote sustainability. IFI has introduced green strategies across the organisation to reduce our carbon footprint. It is a matter of pride for IFI that we were awarded first prize in the leadership in public sector decarbonisation and energy efficiency, a category at the SEAI Energy Awards in 2023.

The new IFI board led by Professor Tom Collins was established by the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, last December. The new board brings with it strong governance and environmental focus, and considerable expertise to help IFI address the complex challenges I have outlined. A systematic plan of reform has been and continues to be executed across IFI with the assistance and support of our new board. This rebuilding will future proof IFI and empower us to do our collective best for the inland fisheries and sea angling resources we protect, manage and conserve. IFI is evolving and we now have much stronger governance and financial management process and procedures in place. We thank our board, the section 18 appointees, and the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and his Department for their support. We also express our gratitude to our dedicated and highly accomplished staff. Through their work they have achieved a lot for the State and its citizens who enjoy Ireland's unique rivers, lakes and coastlines.

Our IFI team will now address the committees oral questions and we will share with the committee any written information that members request thereafter. I thank the Chair and the committee for their attention this morning.