BURRISHOOLE - Key Persons

Aodh O Domhnaill is a native of Co Donegal. He is CEO of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) and formerly the International Sales Director with Errigal Bay, a Gaeltacht based shellfish processor and exporter. His responsibilities include ongoing development of international seafood markets, with a particular focus on Asian, U.S. and Scandinavian territories. In March 2022, Aodh took up the position of CEO of the IFPO, a body formed in 1975. The IFPO represents owners of commercial sea-fishing vessels of all sizes in the Pelagic, Whitefish, Shellfish and Inshore sectors. The Organisation is concerned with the management of members' fishing activities, both catching and marketing, with a view to making the best use of the available fish stocks and optimising returns. Aodh has extensive and lifelong association with the seafood sector and has worked in senior operations and sales roles. He has served as a committee member of the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association (IFPEA) and on the North West Pelagic Advisory Committee. Mr O Domhnaill also served as Chairperson of the Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT) for a four year term from 2007 to 2011. Aodh is a native Gaelic speaker and has a primary degree from Trinity College Dublin. He holds a Certified Diploma in Accounting and Finance and an MBA from the Open University.

Dermot Clohessy has an extensive understanding of foreign direct investment (FDI) having worked for 28 years with IDA Ireland. He was the IDA's Executive Director/COO from 2006 to 2015. During his career with the organisation, he had leadership responsibility across all key functional areas of the organisation. He has strong knowledge of and experience in strategy development and implementation, dealing with corporate governance, including compliance and procurement within the public sector. Dermot was a member the Development Task Force established to support the implementation of Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth - an integrated marine plan for Ireland. He was Chairperson of one of its subcommittees to address the Business Development, Marketing and Promotion agenda that set about sending a clear message to investors that Ireland is open for, and a good place to do, marine business. Since leaving IDA Ireland in 2015, Dermot now works internationally as a strategic advisor on a very wide range of projects on investment and international business development, for both the private and public sectors. His work concentrates on strategy implementation, capability building and international business development where his expertise is on implementation management. Dermot is an Engineer by profession, with additional qualifications in Business Strategy and Accounting & Finance.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Senior Leadership Team
• Director of Fisheries Ecosystems Advisory Services ( FEAS )

Ciaran trained as a marine biologist and subsequently as a fisheries scientist, with a degree from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD from University College Dublin. He has been involved in advice provision to government managers and policy makers for more than 20 years, working nationally and through international organisations such as the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF). Ciaran has previously worked as a manager of integrated advice, and manager of the Office of Research and Development at the Marine Institute which was responsible for the planning and running of the Marine Institute's National Marine Research Investment programme. He is Director of the Institute's Fisheries Ecosystems Advisory Services (FEAS), which undertakes resource assessments of commercial fish stocks, provides advice and policy support to the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), and undertakes research on marine ecosystems, fish stocks and aquaculture.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Senior Leadership Team
• Director of PIRS
• Director of Policy Innovation and Research Support Services ( PIRS )

Niall McDonough originally trained as a marine biologist with research interests in marine aquaculture, shellfish stock restoration and marine resource management. He holds a first class BA Mod. in Zoology from Trinity College Dublin (1993) and a PhD from Queen's University Belfast (1998). Following two years at the Environmental Change Institute at National University Ireland, Galway, Niall served for five years as General Manager of the Centre for Marine Resources and Mariculture (C-Mar), an innovation centre at Queen's University Belfast providing research, technical and advisory services for the emerging marine aquaculture sector. From 2007 to 2009 he worked with the Marine Institute's international cooperation programme. In 2009, he was appointed Executive Director of the European Marine Board (EMB), a European marine science policy organisation based at the InnovOcean campus in Ostend, Belgium. He returned to Ireland in 2017 to take up his current role with the Marine Institute. As Director of PIRS, Niall oversees a team and programme of work that plays a key role in supporting and promoting marine research and innovation at national and international level. He coordinates the implementation of Ireland's Marine Research and Innovation Strategy (2017-2022) and chairs the national Marine Research Funders' Forum. He oversees the Marine Institute's circa 7m per annum external research funding programme and is a member of the Irish Government's Innovation 2020 Implementation Group and Horizon Europe High-Level Group. In November 2020, he was elected Chair of the European Joint Programming Initiative on Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans.

Dr Berna Grist B.L., a barrister and chartered town planner, is Adjunct Professor in the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy at University College Dublin. She holds a PhD from the University of Ulster on The Legislative and Regulatory Framework for Development in the Republic of Ireland and has published widely in the fields of planning and environmental law, public policy and governance. Together with the late James Macken SC, she coedited the Irish Planning Law Factbook (2003), which she continues to update annually, and in 2012, she published the second edition of An Introduction to Irish Planning Law. Dr Grist was appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board on its establishment in 1998. During the period 2001-2006, she served as a member of An Bord Pleanála and in 2013, she was appointed to the Expert Group advising the Minister for Housing and Planning on a successor to the National Spatial Strategy 2002-2020. She has contributed to a number of environmental research projects sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is a member of the Irish Environmental Law Association (IELA).

Job Titles:

• Member of the Senior Leadership Team
• Director of Marine Environment and Food Safety Services ( MEFSS )
• Director of MEFSS

Joe studied at Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) and at Trinity College Dublin, where he qualified with a Master's Degree in Environmental Science. His career originated in the aquaculture industry where he worked in shellfish hatcheries and on-growing facilities, and innovative production methods through the 1980s. Following this, he moved into research activities in phytoplankton and oceanography, and carried out several projects in the field of marine aquaculture development and environmental surveying. Joe has extensive experience within the areas of risk assessment, quality control, biological and environmental monitoring. He also has a considerable international profile having served on a range of working groups including EU inspections of third countries as shellfish toxin expert, Codex working group and has led a variety of international research activities. He is a past chair and member of several International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Working Group and is currently the Chair of the IOC Intergovernmental Panel on Harmful Algal Blooms. As Director of MEFSS, Joe leads the teams responsible for key scientific services to Government in support of evidence-based policy advice and our objectives for safe seafood, sustainable development of the marine environment, fish health and clean seas programme.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Senior Leadership Team
• Director of the Irish Maritime Development Office ( IMDO )
• Fellow of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Liam is a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland and holds a Masters Degree in management from Trinity College Dublin. Before joining the IMDO, Liam lectured in the area of strategic management and innovation in National University of Ireland Maynooth. He formerly worked with Irish Continental Group as Managing Director of its Container and Terminal Division. He has extensive experience in shipping, chartering and port development. Liam was a member of IBEC's Transport Council, which represents the views of industry in the area of transport and logistics.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Senior Leadership Team
• Director of Ocean Climate and Information Services ( OCIS )

Michael holds a Bachelor of Science (University College Galway), a Masters in Environmental Science (Trinity College Dublin) and a National Diploma in Aquatic Biology (Galway Regional Technical College, now Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology). Michael is responsible for the leading, managing and developing of services and delivery of programmes including Research Vessel Operations, Advanced Mapping Services, Oceanography and Climate Services, Information and System Development Services, Marine Infrastructures and Ocean Energy. Michael has 30 years' senior management experience in marine technical research and operational projects, and infrastructure projects e.g. weather and observation buoy networks, Galway Bay cabled scientific observatory. His experience also extends to operational programmes such as INFOMAR mapping, RV and ROV programmes, operational oceanography and climate change. Strategic planning experience includes the national marine plan (Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth), Integrated Digital Ocean programme and multiple project business planning. Michael was co-author of the 2005/2006 INFOMAR proposal which was supported by Government as a 20 year programme (scheduled to complete in 2026), Michael was a national delegate to the Steering Council of the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) from 2016 to 2018. He is currently a national delegate on the Assembly of Members of the EMSO and EURO ARGO ERICs, and is an Executive Board Member of EurOcean. Michael was project manager of the programmes to build the Institute's two research vessels, the RV Celtic Voyager and RV Celtic Explorer, and is the Director responsible for the programme to build the replacement vessel for the Celtic Voyager (2018-2022).

Job Titles:

• Director of Corporate Services
• Member of the Senior Leadership Team
• Director of Corporate Services ( CS )
• Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland

Patricia is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and holds a First Class Honours Bachelor of Commerce Degree (Law and Accounting) from National University of Ireland Galway. Patricia began her career with the international accountancy firm Mazars, in Dublin. Prior to joining the Marine Institute, Patricia was a Director in KPMG, one of Ireland's largest professional service providers. There, she had more than 20 years' experience providing financial, audit, risk management, governance and advisory services to public, private, indigenous and international clients. She held leadership roles with responsibility for strategy, client relationship management, financial performance and Human Resources. Patricia has lectured on the Masters of Accounting programme at NUI Galway, delivered training and presented to Boards on Corporate Governance and other matters. From 2011 to 2018, she served on the Board of Directors and as Company Secretary of Croí Heart and Stroke Foundation. As Director of Corporate Services, Patricia has responsibility for Corporate Governance, Finance, Human Resources, Facilities and Library Services. She served as the Institute's Data Protection Officer until December 2020 and currently is Joint Risk Officer.

Tom Tynan has a distinguished career in agriculture. He was educated at University College Galway (UCG), University College Dublin (UCD), UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, and Harper Adams University College, Shropshire. He was the 2015 UCD Alumni Award winner from the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science. Tom worked across a range of agri-business and policy areas where he held a variety of senior management roles. He was Commercial Director for IAWS Agri-business and subsequently Chief Operating Officer of Welcon AS, Norway. His experience spans commercial, strategy, operations and on-farm advisory. He held posts on the Boards of Teagasc, Agri-Aware and the Scientific Advisory Board of Alltech. In 2021, he was appointed to the Board of the Agri-food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Northern Ireland. Last year, he was appointed to the Board of Shannon Foynes Port Company. He recently completed his tenure as a Member of Cabinet to the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and a Member of Cabinet to the European Commissioner for Trade, where his portfolio responsibilities included agricultural markets, trade remedies, research, development & innovation, bioeconomy and biotechnology.