The establishment of Taighde Éireann-Research Ireland, a new research agency in Ireland, is set to take place on the 1st of August. A temporary Chief Executive, Celine Fitzgerald, has been employed to take the helm of the agency, which is notably the result of a fusion between Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Irish Research Council (IRC). This agency comes with an impressive annual budget exceeding €300 million. The appointment of a permanent CEO is still underway, as stated by Patrick O’Donovan, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, on Wednesday.
Prof Philip Nolan, former SFI Director General assumed the role of “Chief Executive Designate” of Research Ireland in April 2023. This appointment was made by Simon Harris, the then Minister for Further and Higher Education. However, Prof Nolan’s tenure was later terminated by the SFI board. The circumstances of Prof Nolan’s dismissal in relation to the new research agency were not made clear by Mr O’Donovan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof Nolan gained national recognition as a part of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), but he was unable to express his views following the Minister’s announcement.
The spokeswomen for the Department of Further and Higher Education stated, “The Taighde Éireann-Research Ireland board will select and appoint an individual to fill the CEO role, in compliance with guidelines set by the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004, for a term no longer than five years, with the term’s length at the board’s discretion”.
Celine Fitzgerald has a substantial background in leadership, having held high-level roles in multinational, State, charity, and SME sectors. She spearheaded significant organisational reform within the National Screening Service, Rigney Dolphin, and Goal Global during her tenure as CEO.
Last month, Mr Justice Rory Mulcahy expressed in a High Court ruling that the SFI board was within their rights to terminate the Director General’s contract without providing justification.
It was on 27th May that he was let go, theorised to be due to misconduct. He accepted he should have undergone fair proceedings, but SFI counterclaimed that it was actually under the terms of his contract that he was severed. According to Mr Justice Mulcahy, the board of SFI provided some reasons for the termination that seemed to be linked to the upheaval caused by accusations from five high-ranking staff members against Prof Nolan in December of the previous year. The professor, according to Mulcahy, might be able to prove in a full trial that the true reason for his termination was misconduct, but the current proof did not support this.
An investigation into the accusations reached no conclusions against him, but did determine that he had showcased behaviour that could provide the basis for accusations of severe misconduct. Prof Nolan firmly rejects these allegations and is now seeking to overturn the decision. He believes he should have been granted the chance to defend himself through a disciplinary procedure rather than being terminated.
Furthermore, Mr O’Donovan declared that Michael Horgan has been tasked with presiding over the Research Ireland board. Horgan has previously served as the chair of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for a quintuple of years and was once the chair of the Health and Safety Authority. He was also once at the helm as the CEO of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
The majority of SFI and IRC staff members are slated to move to the new agency.