DR Pamela Byrne, CEO of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, is the latest and final Ministerial appointee to the Board of Horse Sport Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine confirmed on Friday.

Dr Byrne was appointed Chief Executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland in March 2015. Prior to this, she held the role of Director of Regulatory Policy and Intelligence with Abbott Nutrition. Having previously held senior positions in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, she has extensive experience of the food regulatory environment, as well as expertise in risk assessment and food safety management at both national and international levels.

During her time at the Department of Agriculture, Dr Byrne worked as an environmental toxicologist and risk assessor and was instrumental in developing Ireland’s research and innovation policy programmes in relation to food and the bioeconomy.

Dr Byrne also worked in the Cabinet of the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation - Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn.

That completes the Ministerial appointees by the DAFM to the board of Horse Sport Ireland. The board comprises Mr Michael Dowling (chair), Dr Kevin Smyth, Ms Karen Brosnan, Dr Pamela Byrne, Mr Paul Brolly (Northern Ireland representative), as well as three of the four industry appointees in Dr Siobhan McAuliffe (Coaching and Education Advisory Forum), Ms Sue Foley (Equestrian, Sport and Recreation Advisory Forum) and Ms Allison Mercer (Breeding and Production Advisory Forum).

The board position representing the High Performance Forum remains vacant due to an ongoing fallout between Horse Sport Horse and a number of the affiliates.

The HSI Constitution provides that the term of office of the Chair and other directors shall be three years from date of appointment and directors are eligible to serve a maximum of two terms.