Mr. Martin Sisk:

I am pleased to appear before the committee. As members will see from my opening statement, I have substantial experience, both regulatory and otherwise, in various roles I have played, such as the Registry of Friendly Societies where, among other things, I had agricultural co-operatives and fisheries co-operatives as part of my responsibility. I have chaired a number of significant organisations, such as VHI Healthcare as I have explained in detail in the opening statement. I have also chaired the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority for eight years as the regulator of the auditing and accounting profession. In 2024, I served as interim chairperson of the State Examinations Commission, which, as members are aware, is a complex process involving 140,000 students. I am glad to say we started and finished and got the results out well ahead of time. I serve as a board member of Drogheda Port Company. Consequently, I have a good practical understanding of the issues involved in running a commercial port.

I do not need to read out the Marine Institute Act 1991, but the Marine Institute has a very important range of functions, both scientific and developmental, and in the forum of creating employment for the fisheries and maritime sector. I am aware that the institute is held in high regard by the industry and I intend that that positive position should continue and be enhanced.

Separately, the institute provides extensive advice and services to five Departments and their relevant Ministers, which I am aware is much valued by those Departments. The institute has ten operational sites around the country and I intend visiting all those sites in the coming months to get a full, on the ground, understanding of the organisation.

Before I open for questions, for the benefit of the members of the committee, I will mention those sites. The Marine Institute headquarters is in Rinville, in Oranmore. The long-term ecological research facility is in Furnace, Newport, County Mayo. The Irish Maritime Development Office is on Hatch Street, Dublin. The technical support base is in Parkmore, Galway. The heavy equipment store is on the Galway docks. Also and very importantly, we have fishery sampling staff located in the following fisheries harbours: Greencastle and Killybegs in Donegal; Rossaveel in Galway; Castletownbere in Cork; and Dunmore East in Waterford, the Cathaoirleach's territory. I intend to visit all those sites in the coming months. I would welcome the opportunity for Deputies and Senators who are from those constituencies to come and meet me and I am happy to arrange that at that time.