Two most senior officials at Children's Health Ireland resign

Ellen O'Donoghue

The two most senior officials of the body overseeing the new National Children's Hospital have resigned.

The acting chief executive and interim deputy chief executive of Children's Health Ireland are both stepping down from their roles.

The role of CHI chief executive was vacant from last November after Eilish Hardiman went on medical leave. In January, Fiona Murphy was appointed as acting chief executive and staff were told in April that Ms Hardiman had been reassigned to a new role of strategic programme director.

Earlier this year, the board began a recruitment process to fill the chief executive role on a permanent basis. The HSE has said an announcement on this appointment is imminent.

In a memo to staff on Monday morning, Dr Jim Browne, chairman of the board for CHI, announced Ms Murphy’s resignation, stating it would be effective from February 2025. It is understood Ms Murphy resigned due to a job opportunity in the private sector.

Separately, Stephen Flanagan, interim deputy chief executive and chief financial officer of CHI, has also resigned from his post, with his last day of work being this Wednesday.

Mr Flanagan has been chief financial officer since 2019, having previously been financial director at CHI Crumlin and financial controller at St James’s Hospital in Dublin.

The  resignations come at a critical time for the hospital, which is trying to be finished by next year.