merrion street

An  Tánaiste  and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Frances
Fitzgerald,  T.D.  announces  the  appointment  of  Mrs  Nicole  Lappin, as
Director  to  the  Board  of  the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory
Authority (“IAASA”).

On the appointment An Tánaiste said: “I am delighted to congratulate Nicole
Lappin on her appointment to the Board of the Irish Auditing and Accounting
Supervisory Authority (“IAASA”). Nicole joins IAASA at an important time as
it  seeks  to further enhance auditing and accounting standards in Ireland.
Providing an appropriate oversight function for the auditing and accounting
sector  in  Ireland  plays  a  fundamental  role  in  assuring domestic and
international  investors  that  a suitable regulatory environment underpins
Ireland's  competitive  offering.  I have no doubt that Nicole's experience
will  enable her to assist IAASA over the coming years and I wish her every
success on her appointment"

Under the Companies Act 2014, the Transparency Regulations and the Audit

Regulations, IAASA has seven primary functions:

        Ø    supervision of how the Prescribed Accountancy Bodies (PABs)
           regulate and monitor their members

        Ø    monitoring of the periodic financial reporting of certain
           entities whose securities have been admitted to trading on a
           regulated market in the EU

        Ø    carrying out certain functions in respect of liquidators

        Ø    promotion of adherence to high professional standards in the
           auditing and accountancy profession, and

        Ø    acting as a specialist source of advice to the Minister for
           Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on auditing and accounting
           matters

        Ø    carrying out the external quality assurance of the audits of
           public interest entities

        Ø    oversight of statutory audit

Biography of the Director: Mrs Nicole Lappin

A  law graduate of Queen’s University Belfast in 1994, Mrs Lappin qualified
as a barrister from King’s Inns Dublin in 1996 and practised as a barrister
for five years in Dublin and Belfast in a variety of areas.

Mrs  Lappin  was an inaugural member of the Education Authority in Northern
Ireland,  gained  extensive  experience  in  corporate  governance  and was
involved  in  the  transition  of  five Education and Library Boards into a
single organisation. Mrs Lappin also contributed to the 2017/2027 Strategic
Plan  which outlines the continuing process of transforming the deliverance
of education services in Northern Ireland.

While  at  the Education Authority Mrs Lappin gained financial expertise by
leading a working group which examined the impact of schools’ surpluses and
deficits  on  the  Education  Authority’s  block  grant. As a member of the
Finance  and  General  Purpose Committee Mrs Lappin gained valuable insight
into corporate finance.

Mrs Lappin has over ten years' experience as a school governor and
currently serves as chair of the finance sub-committee of a post-primary in
Northern Ireland.

Mrs  Lappin  has  a  solid  track  record  in  delivering improved business
performance  and  exercising  a  very  high  level of personal judgement in
relation to legal, regulatory and financial matters. Mrs Lappin took up her
role in IAASA effective 13th September 2017.