Audit and Risk Committee Member - Expressions of Interest

Fógra Poiblí

Thu, 23/01/2025

Inland Fisheries Ireland is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified persons who are willing to become a member of its Audit and Risk Committee.

1. Who we are

Inland Fisheries Ireland(IFI) is the State environmental agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and managing Ireland's inland fisheries and sea angling resources. Its core mission is to protect freshwater fish and their habitats. It was established under the Fisheries Act on July 1st, 2010, and operates under the aegis of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.

2. Our work

The general functions of our organisation are to:

(a) Promote, support, facilitate and advise the Minister on the conservation, protection, management, marketing, development and improvement of Ireland's inland fisheries, including its sea angling resources.

(b) Develop and advise the Minister on policy and national strategies relating to inland fisheries and sea angling.

3. The role of the Audit and Risk Committee

The Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) is part of the control environment tasked with providing independent advice to IFI on matters including the suitability and robustness of the organisation’s internal controls, internal audit, risk management, governance systems procedures and the reliability of financial reporting. The ARC is independent of the day-to-day financial management of the organisation which is the responsibility of the Executive. In particular, the ARC monitors the internal control systems including audit activities.

The ARC consists of five members, with a minimum of three Board members and two others who shall be members of IFI or external experts co-opted to the committee. The duties of the Audit and Risk Committee are set out in the ARC Terms of reference in Appendix 1.

4. The Candidate

We are seeking an additional member for IFIs ARC who fulfils the following requirements.

Essential skills and experience:

A recognised professional accounting qualification, with a sound understanding of financial management and financial control systems;
A thorough understanding of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, in particular where it refers to the role of audit committees and the internal audit function;
Knowledge and experience of working in a relevant area e.g. regulatory, finance, risk management, governance, legal or IT;
Understanding of the public sector environment, particularly accountability structures, governance arrangements and public sector reform initiatives.

Personal Qualities:

Strong interpersonal skills
Sound judgement
Ability to challenge and probe in a constructive and respectful manner
The time and personal commitment to perform effectively
High levels of integrity, ethical standards and professionalism.

Desirable requirements:

Although not essential, it is desirable that individuals have:

Previous experience as a member of an Audit Committee and/or a non-executive member of a Board
Understanding of the requirements for public bodies arising from cyber security developments
Understanding of the sustainability agenda

5. Time commitment

The ARC meets at least four times per year and meetings are normally held between 10am and 12 pm. Meetings are currently held remotely but may also be held occasionally in person at our headquarters in Citywest or other locations by agreement. Meetings usually last a maximum of 2/2.5 hours. The term of appointment is three years. Performance is reviewed on an annual basis. Should performance not meet requirements set out here and in line with the terms of reference, the appointment may be terminated.

6. Fees

Remuneration will be paid at a rate of €282.79 per meeting subject to a maximum annual fee of €1,697 for 6 meetings. The One Person One Salary (OPOS) principle applies and therefore payments can only be made to someone who is not a serving public servant or a non-public servant whose organisations are not largely exchequer funded. Such fees are subject to taxation and is subject to Revenue’s Professional Services Withholding Tax (PSWT). Travel and subsistence for attendance at the ARC will be paid, in accordance with Department of Public Expenditure rates and in accordance with IFIs travel and subsistence policy.

7. Submitting your application

Expressions of interest should be submitted by email to Suzanne.Campion@fisheriesireland.ie. The closing date and time for receipt of expressions of interest is: 12 noon on Wednesday, February 12th, 2025.

An expression of interest should include your full career details and a cover letter demonstrating how you meet the requirements of this position. You must also confirm that you do not have any conflicts of interest or legal impediment which would be likely to interfere with your ability to play a full part of the ARC, that you can make yourself available to attend meetings and to carry out the duties of a member of the ARC. It is strongly recommended that you do not change your email address or mobile phone number in the course of consideration of expressions of interest, as any correspondence will be through the email address/mobile phone number originally supplied by you. Information provided on applications submitted to IFI will be processed in line with our Privacy Notice.

8. Assessment Process

An Assessment Panel (the “Panel”) will be convened by IFI to consider and assess the expressions of interest received on or before the closing time and date. The Panel will: - review and assess the applications received against the specific identified criteria for the role; - If deemed appropriate meet with candidate/s whose expressions of interest are assessed as scoring highest; and/or - Carry out any other selection method deemed appropriate - Recommend the strongest candidate, based on the criteria and assessment process, to the Board for approval.

9. Appointment Process

The successful candidate will be notified in writing and contacted by the Board Secretary to arrange induction training.