Agri-food body sets up in-house legal unit
Agri-food watchdog An Rialálaí Agraibhia has appointed solicitor Ciara O'Gorman to head its new legal-and-research unit.
The regulator says that the unit's establishment will strengthen its in-house expertise as its regulatory, enforcement, research, and policy responsibilities continue to evolve.
Set up in December 2023 under the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Act 2023, the body is charged with enforcing legislation on unfair trading practices (UTPs) and carrying out price and market analysis of the agri-food supply chain.
O’Gorman will lead the provision of comprehensive in-house legal advice across the regulator, while overseeing legal and policy research relating to its enforcement powers, data collection, and transparency objectives.
Experience in regulated industries
She is a solicitor with 20 years’ experience working across regulated industries in private practice, as in-house counsel, and in public service.
Before joining the Agri-Food Regulator, she worked with the Data Protection Commission as part of its large-scale inquiries team.
The solicitor said that she was taking on the new role at an important stage in the regulator’s development.
"A strong legal-and-research function will be central to supporting the organisation as its work continues to evolve, and to advancing greater transparency and fairness across Ireland’s agri-food supply chain,” she stated.
'Significant development'
The watchdog has also appointed Anne Hayden as policy-and-research officer within the legal-and-research team. Hayden has expertise in the regional impact of climate mitigation measures.
The regulator's chief executive Niamh Lenehan described the establishment of the unit as "a significant development" in its current stage of growth.
"Ciara O’Gorman brings extensive legal and regulatory experience that strengthens our in-house legal and research capacity and will enhance organisational resilience, responsiveness, and capacity to meet evolving legislative and stakeholder expectations," she said.