9th April 2018
The Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen T.D., today announced the appointment of Mr James Kennedy as Chairperson to the Board of the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI).
On making the appointment Minister Breen said: “I am delighted to appoint James Kennedy as Chairperson to the Board of the National Standards Authority of Ireland. James joins the NSAI at an important and challenging time as the Agency seeks to continue supporting Irish business and protecting consumers through setting standards and certifying the quality and safety of goods and services in the midst of EU and international regulatory change.
“The work of NSAI will further contribute to competitiveness and growth in Irish industry, which is particularly important given the trading challenges facing Irish companies such as with Brexit. I have no doubt that James’s extensive and varied experience will enable him to provide strategic direction to NSAI over the coming years and I wish him every success on his appointment".
Mr Kennedy was appointed as Chairperson to the Board of the National Standards Authority of Ireland following an open Public Appointments Service (PAS) process.
ENDS
Notes to editor:
Biography of Mr James Kennedy, NSAI Chairperson:
Mr James Kennedy was appointed as Chairperson to the Board of the National Standards Authority of Ireland following an open Public Appointments Service (PAS) process.
Mr Kennedy has extensive experience at senior management level, having enjoyed a distinguished career in the food, multinational healthcare, agri-services and facilities management industries in Ireland. He currently serves as Chair of the Board and Director of Fraysen Systems Limited, which specialises in computerised performance management systems for the precision electronics, medical devices and consumer product industries.
In previous roles, Mr Kennedy served as interim CEO of Horse Sport Ireland, Vice President of European Operations with Bausch & Lomb Inc. and Chief Executive of Thomas McDonogh & Sons Ltd. He has also served as President of the Chambers of Commerce of Waterford; the South-East region and Ireland. A science graduate of University College Cork, he is a native of Co Limerick.
NSAI Background
The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) was established in 1997 as a statutory non-commercial State body which comes under the aegis of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. The CEO of the Agency, Ms Geraldine Larkin, was appointed in 2017.
NSAI provides services to industry and the public through its Certification, Standards and Agrément (building products and processes) functions. It is also responsible for both Legal and National Metrology functions, which ensures the accuracy of all measurements and measuring instruments used for trade and other purposes. NSAI also offers its services in the US market through its subsidiary, NSAI Inc.
NSAI aims to provide Ireland with the components necessary for an effective trading infrastructure for products and services to be developed, traded, and relied on nationally and around the world.
NSAI’s activities are focused in the following areas:
Standards
NSAI develops, publishes, and distributes standards to meet Irish and European needs through consultation and consensus with stakeholders and interested parties.
Legal Metrology Service
The Legal Metrology Service’s principal functions are to underpin confidence in trade measurements through exercising controls on measuring instruments and quantities of pre-packed and loose goods and to implement a national system of measurement (national metrology). Effectively NSAI are concerned with consumer protection and fair weights and measures in trade.
National Metrology Laboratory
The National Metrology Laboratory (NML) is the national metrology body for Ireland and is responsible for the maintenance and development of the national standards for physical units and their dissemination to Irish users, mainly manufacturing industry and pharmaceuticals.
Certification Services
NSAI provides a comprehensive certification service in line with current European and international practices, offering an objective assessment of the quality and/or safety of a product or service. Certification is recognised as an authoritative statement of conformity to applicable national and international standards. NSAI Inc. provides certification services in the United States.
Irish Agrément Board
The Irish Agrément Board (IAB) acts as a Consultative Committee to advise NSAI on construction products and processes suitable for Agrément assessment and certification for use in Ireland.
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