“We are a very high-performing organisation,” a senior executive of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) told the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in December.
“We punch well above our weight.”
The executive was speaking about the organisation’s work in fisheries and environmental protection.
The remark generated some eye rolling across parts of Government where senior figures point to its involvement in a fair share of controversies in recent years.
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A Comptroller and Auditor General report last October identified serious deficiencies in internal controls including dozens of credit cards given to employees and an uninsured vehicle involved in a crash leading to a €230,000 repair bill.
This week, internal infighting that had been going on at the highest level behind closed doors burst out into the open at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).
In a case taken under unfair dismissal and protected disclosures legislation, former IFI chief executive Francis O’Donnell made explosive claims about fraud at the agency and allegations about how he had been threatened and blackmailed over steps taken to investigate it.
The commission was told that O’Donnell’s departure from IFI last summer, before his five-year term came to an end, arose by way of dismissal.
The case highlighted concerns about allegations made under protected disclosures being “weaponised” and revealed allegations about the actions of politicians in relation to such claims.
O’Donnell maintained while he was legally required to remain silent and not defend himself while whistleblowers’ allegations against him were formally investigated, politicians were free to air such claims in the Oireachtas.
IFI may have been relatively unknown until now, but within Government it has been considered as a troubled organisation.
Oonagh Buckley, secretary general of the Department of the Environment – the parent department of IFI – told John Brady, chairman of the PAC, on January 16th that by the end of last year it had received a total of 26 disclosures relating to the fisheries organisation.
“Between 2022 and 2025, the department has initiated seven investigations by independent external investigators into protected disclosures relating to IFI, of which six investigation reports have been concluded with one remaining in progress,” Buckley said.
She said two investigation reports were completed in 2023 with none of the allegations upheld and no further follow-up action required.
Two further investigation reports were completed in 2024-2025 with all allegations upheld and further follow-up actions required, she said.
“Two investigation reports concluded in 2024-’25 with multiple allegations not upheld, one allegation being upheld and some matters transferred to IFI for further follow-up,” said Buckley.
She said that one investigation initiated in 2025 was continuing.
It is now known that some of these disclosures were made by the former chief executive.
There have also been a number of issues concerning IFI reported to gardaí.
The department told the PAC in January an independent report on complaints by a whistleblower had been referred to the Garda Commissioner.
The documents indicated this report found, in part, that IFI had knowingly allowed an individual to produce invalid insurance documentation to An Garda Síochána.
IFI chairman Tom Collins told the department last July that it “strongly contests” this finding.
It is understood this protected disclosure by a staff member related to an incident where an employee was involved in a crash while driving a vehicle which had been leased by IFI.
In February the PAC decided to refer to gardaí correspondence submitted to it that makes serious allegations regarding corporate governance and potential criminal issues in IFI.
This week, the WRC heard evidence that O’Donnell on two occasions in 2022 went to gardaí with reports of fraud and claims that he was being blackmailed in a bid to stymie investigations into such issues.
IFI has responsibility for protecting, managing and conserving Ireland’s inland fisheries and sea angling resources. It has more than 300 staff and a budget of about €35 million. Politically, it comes under the remit of Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries Timmy Dooley.
Last September the Minister told the IFI board an independent review of the organisation would be carried out following the appointment of a new chief executive.
This will be just the latest of a series of external reviews and investigations over recent years.
In April 2022, the former minister Eamon Ryan ordered an independent review “consequent upon his opinion that the functions of IFI were not being performed in an effective manner”.
Evidence given at the WRC this week maintained that in the weeks before this decision, the department had received a protected disclosure making allegations about an employee who was the brother of the then chairman.
O’Donnell contended that he was subject to threats and harassment after he suspended this employee.
In February 2023 Ryan directed a full governance review of IFI was to be carried out.
In the Seanad on Thursday there was criticism of the WRC for allowing O’Donnell to allege publicly that he was blackmailed by a senator. The media was also criticised for reporting the claims.
However, the WRC was in a difficult position. The adjudicator in the case is hearing an employment dispute. He will not be making findings about fraud, blackmail or other such issues.
O’Donnell is claiming he was unfairly dismissed by IFI and penalised for making protected disclosures. However, his counsel maintained it was important that the context and background to his case – his allegations that he was victim of a campaign of harassment after he suspended the brother of the then chairman – should be heard.
O’Donnell maintained a senator had told the department if the person was not reinstated, details of allegations made against the former chief executive in a separate protected disclosure would be made known.
He maintained the senator had told another senior official in the Department of the Environment that he (O’Donnell) had links to the Continuity IRA.
The identity of the senator was not made known. However counsel for IFI said at the hearing: “The person named is running for elected office this year.”
Across the city from the WRC headquarters, inside Leinster House the identity of the senator was being widely discussed in private.
There is also an inkling in Leinster House that before this drama is over the name of another senior politician may be drawn in.
IFI and the Department of Environment are back before the PAC in a couple of weeks.
IFI chairman Tom Collins told staff on Tuesday it would be “vigorously defending” the WRC case. Several days more of evidence are expected in June.
