CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Local and global
2. community
3. Education
4. The workplace
5. The environment
   Local and Global Community
6. Our commitment to the wider community includes supporting community and charitable activities, making our buildings available to the local community and businesses for use. For example, events with community groups, schools and third level institutions and supporting charitable events set up within the organisation.
7. By meeting our statutory responsibilities and adopting best practice, the Marine Institute strives to create a service to the marine community and the Irish public. We aim to promote a thriving maritime economy supported by the delivery of excellence in our services.
8. We regularly liaise with other marine agencies and government bodies internationally to work towards continuing innovation and responsible practices within the marine environment.

Education
We believe that education is a critical factor in terms of developing society for future success. We provide and support educational projects that support students from primary to postgraduate level.

These include:

1. The Explorer’s Education Programme which aims to integrate marine themes as closely as possible with lessons already taught in national schools through the Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE) curriculum and other cross-curricular subjects
2. The Follow the Fleet programme developed for primary school students to gain an insight into the Maritime sector
3. The provision of work experience to transition year students.
4. The annual summer bursary programme that offers eight weeks work experience to undergraduates and the 50 week graduate training programme that provides work experience to recent graduates.
5. The SMART Programme which enables third level students of Marine related subjects to carry out offshore operations on board the Marine Institute’s research vessels – the RV Celtic Explorer and the RV Celtic Voyager.
6. The development of a Marine Careers brochure to introduce the broad range of careers available in the marine sector.

The Workplace
We value our people as our greatest asset and adopt a best practice approach in our recruitment methods. We carry out recruitment in a fair and efficient manner, supporting the Marine Institute as an equal opportunities employer.

We support our employees through our employment policies and practices, to support their development and personal wellbeing to maximise our potential.

A Code of Conduct is in place for staff and management. This code sets out an agreed set of ethical principles that all members of the Marine Institute and Board adhere to. The code promotes the maintenance of trust and confidence by colleagues, the Board, our customers and the Public. The code aims to prevent the development or acceptance of any unethical practices.

Learning and development, stress, employee wellbeing and family friendly working policies are also in place to promote a healthy work-life balance throughout the organisation.

The Environment
We recognise the environmental responsibilities associated with all aspects of our monitoring, research and development practices. We are committed to ensure that the principles and standards of good environmental and waste management practices are adhered to throughout the organisation.

It is our policy to ensure that our business practices avoid any potential adverse effects on the environment and protect the welfare of our employees and communities in which we operate.

We carry out our role described in the Marine Institute Act 1991, as inclusively and responsibly as possible:

‘’to undertake, to co-ordinate, to promote and to assist in marine research and development and to provide such services related to research and development that, in the opinion of the Institute, will promote economic development and create employment and protect the marine environment”