The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has announced the appointment of a new chief executive, who will take up the role from March 1.

Greg Dempsey will take over from Dr. Pamela Byrne when her tenure in the role comes to an end.

Dempsey is currently a deputy secretary general at the Department of Health.

The incoming FSAI chief executive is a native of Dublin and is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, holding a bachelor of science degree in financial information systems.

He is also a qualified chartered certified accountant.

Dempsey is a member of the board of the Institute of Public Administration (IPA), and a member of the advisory committee of the State Claims Agency.

He has worked in the Department of Health for over decade, where he was previously assistant secretary and head of finance, before becoming deputy secretary, where he leads the corporate affairs division, overseeing standards of corporate governance at the department.

Prior to his stint at the Department of Health, he served as chief finance and operations officer with the Department of Finance, having joined there from the Central Bank of Ireland.

Dempsey has also worked in the private sector for a number of financial service firms, including as CEO of Zurich Bank.

Commenting on the appointment, Ann Horan, chairperson of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, said Dempsey will bring "expertise and leadership" to the role of chief executive.

"The board is delighted to welcome Mr. Dempsey as the new chief executive of the FSAI. [His] appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the FSAI, as we roll out our new strategy 2025-2029," Horan said.

Horan also thanked Dr. Pamela Byrne for her contribution during her tenure as chief executive.

The FSAI chairperson said: "Dr. Byrne's vision, passion, hard work and commitment to food safety has been instrumental in the FSAI continuing to be a highly regarded regulatory agency both nationally and internationally."