Ms Julie O'Neill:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to discuss my nomination as chairman of the National Standards Authority of Ireland. I am honoured to be considered for the position, and in the short period since receiving notification of this nomination, I have taken steps to engage with Department officials and NSAI management in respect of the expectations, roles and responsibilities not only of the chairman but of the authority itself.

From my pharmaceutical background and my role as vice president of operations and managing director of Gilead Sciences, which I have held in Ireland since 1997, I am fully aware of the requirements and significant benefits accruing to organisations from the application of both voluntary and regulatory standards. Coupled with this, I can also bring to the role my experiences as a past president of IBEC and a member of advisory boards to a number of third level institutions.

From initial research, I have established that the NSAI has a strong vision, mission and values and a recently approved strategic plan for the years 2013 to 2015. I take this opportunity to commend the work of the outgoing chairman, Ms Ann Riordan, and the board members on the strength of this plan, which will guide my chairmanship if it is ratified. The NSAI is a significant contributor to the Action Plan for Jobs programme since it was initiated in 2012. It is important to note that the NSAI is not a job creation agency but rather a key element in the trade infrastructure that underpins our economic activity. In this context, NSAI provides Ireland, as a small and open economy, with an infrastructure of products and services to be developed, traded and relied upon nationally and around the world. This infrastructure also contributes positively to decisions on foreign direct investment, in which organisations rely on a regulatory environment, developing standards and a conformity assessment infrastructure to achieve objectives such as the development of the medical devices sector.

I will give a personal example from my own area of operations in pharmaceutical activities in Ireland. The Food and Drugs Administration in the US has not issued a single warning letter to any pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Ireland, which is of strong strategic import in the attraction and retention of foreign direct investment in the pharma-chemical sector. This competency was developed as a result of the strong emphasis of the Irish Medicines Board on the benefits of focusing on compliance and creating a culture of compliance within the Irish industry.

The NSAI delivers on the trading infrastructure through the core programmes of metrology, standardisation, legal metrology and conformity assessment.

As interconnected programmes - four of the five primary technical pillars identified by the UN industrial development organisation for an efficient trading economy are delivered by the NSAI - the authority serves to underpin the national trade infrastructure, which supports the key objectives of government in providing an environment that is supportive of enterprise and maintains Ireland's trading reputation for quality goods and services while protecting the customer.

The interrelated programmes also ensure that Irish enterprise and consumers achieve the benefits of an efficient trading system through the necessary variety, interoperability and economies of scale to ensure quality assured consumers empowered to demand fit for purpose products and services that conform to standards. Through my preparations, even I have been surprised by the pervasive and invisible presence of standards in our daily lives and businesses from the toys with which our children play and the accuracy of measures developed for fuel pumps on garage forecourts to decisions supporting the adoption of cloud computing and the chairs we are sitting in. Standards are all around us.

At its highest level, the purpose is to provide a dynamic organisation using measures and standards to benefit society and give Irish enterprise a global advantage. In the current strategy, the attainment of this mission is supported by four high level goals underpinned by comprehensive operational plans and targets: open market infrastructure to maximise trade development and consumer benefits; business excellence to assist Irish business achieve growth in profitability; knowledge economy providing infrastructure supporting positioning of Ireland as a smart, knowledge based economy; and sustainability through participation in the proactive development of national and international resources to the requirements of sustainable resource management.

From my initial research, I am informed the NSAI has a strong performance operating and governance structures aligned to the delivery of its statutory and strategic objectives. As a member of the business community and as a citizen, I am aware recent years have presented Ireland and its public sector services with unprecedented challenges. The NSAI has delivered on staff reductions of 24% since 2008 with a further 7% required under the employment control framework, which due to the specific technical competencies necessary for operation within the authority will present significant challenges.

In the area of funding, as across the public sector, the authority has experienced a reduction in its own grant allocation, which equates to 24% of its total operating costs and its own resourced income as requirements for certification schemes from sectors such as construction contract. However, the NSAI has met and continues to reposition itself for these challenges and has maintained its services through a process of reorganisation and restructuring of its service delivery models.

My approach to the position of chairman is one of consultation and working with the board, primary stakeholders and management to ensure the strategic direction and operations deliver against the strategy, requirements of legislation and national objectives within a strong governance framework. I also see a responsibility for championing the role of the NSAI to ensure its services are utilised and leveraged within the strategies of Departments, the authority's contribution is recognised and the resources and support necessary to achieve these objectives are made available. In this context I would welcome the opportunity to present to the committee on an annual basis regarding the activities of the authority if it considers that beneficial.

Within the invisible infrastructure that is Ireland's trading economy, the authority has an important role to play. If my nomination is confirmed, I would be proud to contribute to that. I am willing to take questions to be the best of my ability, given I do not have the fullest knowledge of the organisation.