Ireland’s leading maritime newspaper covering the Coastal, Fishing and Maritime Communities

MARINE TIMES NEWS April 16th:
Inland Fisheries Ireland spent over €50,000 on media training ahead of PAC appearance

Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Sinn Féin TD John Brady, has branded as “astounding”, information provided to the PAC that states that Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) spent over €50,000 on media training ahead of their recent appearance before the committee.

In a letter sent to the committee, IFI outlined that €53,933 (excluding VAT) was spent on these services, which consisted of just eight days of direct training, along with 10 days of preparation.

Teachta Brady said: “It is quite simply astounding that IFI spent this amount of money on media training ahead of a PAC appearance.

“At a time when IFI should be focused on addressing substantive issues around governance, it instead chose to invest in how it presents itself under scrutiny.

“Serious questions now arise as to who signed off on this level of expenditure and how it was possibly justified.

“The direct training element consisted of just eight days, five days of group sessions and three days of one-to-one sessions, alongside 10 days of preparation by consultants.

“How does this under any calculation represent value for money?

“There is also reference to the services being delivered through existing contractual arrangements with IFI’s legal advisors. How exactly did this work? Was this potentially a mechanism to circumvent procurement rules?

“When IFI should be working to restore public trust and confidence, this decision represents yet another blow to that effort and reinforces concerns about its overall approach.

“I would welcome an immediate update from the new CEO, who commenced in the role this week, on this expenditure and steps being taken to address the broader governance issues within IFI that the Public Accounts Committee has repeatedly identified.

“The government has also committed to an external review of IFI, which they stated would proceed when a new CEO is in place – this should now move forward without any further unnecessary delay.

“Urgent reform and a properly functioning IFI, which protects, conserves, and develops Ireland’s inland fisheries is what’s required.”

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In our April edition -

When Guessing Wrong Can Get You a Criminal Record! What Will Be Done with the SFPA?; Does The Government Want Inshore Fishing? The Cost Of Fishing Is Becoming Unsustainable; Fuel Cost Rises Catastrophic for Fishing Fleet - Fishermen forgotten by Government as fuel cost crisis hammers industry; €32m Agreement Reflects Sustained Lobbying ....

.... all of this plus so much more in our April issue

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