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Appointments to the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council - 6 November 2024
From Department of Health
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From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has appointed/ reappointed the following members to the Board of Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council.
Dennis Keeley is Chief Fire Officer with Dublin Fire Brigade. He leads a multi-disciplinary team of over 1,000 personnel with responsible for the overall leadership, management and strategic development of the Dublin Fire Brigade and Ambulance Service.
Dennis has several decades’ experience with DFB, serving in a broad range of Operational and Management roles before his appointment as Chief Fire Officer.
He has extensive experience and knowledge in emergency, crisis and risk management and has undertaken a number of international missions with the United Nations Emergency Disaster and Coordination unit. He has also been a tutor with the European Union Civil Protection Mechanisms training programme.
Mr Keeley is reappointed following nomination by the Dublin Fire Brigade and is with effect from 24 August 2024 until 23 August 2028.
John Hughes has been current Commissioner and CEO of St. John Ambulance Ireland since 2014. Prior to that, he has held various posts of responsibility within SJAI, progressing through the organisation since joining in 1986.
He is Principal Officer Higher in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), leading, Trade Policy, Enterprise Strategy and Inward Investment Policy Units (currently a Budget Officer for €250 million annual IDA budget).
His academic qualifications include a B. Comm, Diploma In Applied Employment Law and Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, Senior Management Programme. He is currently participating in the Senior Public Service Senior Leadership Programme run by Roffey Park Institute.
Mr Hughes is reappointed following nomination by the Order of Malta Ireland, Irish Red Cross and St John Ambulance Ireland and is with effect from 24 August 2024 until 23 August 2028.
William Merriman is the Director of Operations with the HSE National Ambulance Service (NAS), with 3 years’ experience in this role working alongside the executive team of the NAS.
William’s role requires him to provide leadership and direction for the planning, and delivery of national emergency, intermediate care, retrieval, critical care and aeromedical service, which focus on the promotion and improved outcomes for the community.
William has over 30 years’ experience working in the ambulance service starting as an ambulance attendant, to various roles from Communications Manager to Chief Ambulance Officer.
William has completed many education programs in health care management including the NQEMT, and currently completing a level 9 professional certificate in corporate governance.
Mr Merriman has been reappointed following nomination by the Health Service Executive, with effect from 30 June 2024 until 29 June 2028.
MB BAO BCH LRCPSI, MRCPI, DCh, Dip IMC, Dip ICM, FRCEM, FJFICMI
Niamh Collins is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine in Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown and Honorary Senior Lecturer with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. In 2022, she was appointed Medical Director of Dublin Fire Brigade having previous served as the RCSI appointed medical advisor to Dublin Fire Brigade’s paramedic programme.
After completing specialist registrar training in Emergency Medicine in Ireland, she undertook a fellowship in Intensive Care Medicine. She was Course Director for the Advanced Paramedic Programme in UCD 2009-10. She joined the Medical Advisory Committee of PHECC in 2009 and PHECC Council in 2020.
Niamh has extensive experience in the development and delivery of pre-hospital practitioner education and quality improvement projects, having led-out on a national advanced paramedic upskilling programme, PHECC eLearning education, the National Ambulance Patient Handover Programme, the PHECC Education & Training standards review and is currently driving the PHECC Education Roadmap. She has mentored many colleagues in the areas of audit, research and quality improvement and has considerable publications in the fields of End-of-Life Care, Emergency Medicine, Pre-Hospital Care and Paramedic Education.
Dr Collins is reappointed with effect from 30 June 2024 until 29 June 2028.
MB, BCh, BAO, MRCPI, FRCEM, FFSEM
Dr Sean O’Rourke is a consultant in Emergency Medicine at the Midlands Regional Hospital, Tullamore. He qualified as a consultant in 2002 following Higher Specialist Training in the Leicester Royal Infirmary. He stepped down as Department Head of Service in 2020 to take up his current part-time post as Deputy Clinical Director of the National Ambulance Service where he focuses on alternative pathways of care for patients who ring 999/112. Dr O’Rourke is also a Fellow of the Faculty of Sports & Exercise Medicine reflecting his interest in soft-tissue injury management and sports injuries.
Dr O’Rourke is appointed following nomination by the Health Service Executive with effect from 7 October 2024 and ending 6 October 2028.
Integrated Heathcare Area Manager (IHA), Cavan & Monaghan.
Dervila Eyres has extensive experience of working in health and social care services in clinical, management and leadership roles. She has developed expertise in supporting the governance and delivery of high-quality integrated healthcare services in alignment with strategic policies and national priorities. Dervila has an established track record of working collaboratively and strategically with others, making links across the wider healthcare system, governmental departments and external agencies, to facilitate and enable improvements in service delivery. She is committed to building trust and public confidence in our health services and believes in authentic co-production with people with lived experience to support the delivery of better outcomes for the people of the north east.
Dervila is a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) by profession and has worked as a Disability Services Manager, General Manager for primary and social care, General Manager for mental health and as Head of Service for mental health. She was most recently in the role of Assistant National Director, Mental Health Operations before taking up her new role as IHA manager for Cavan and Monaghan. As IHA manager she will retain responsibility for the delivery of the National Forensic Mental Health Service.
Dervila has a strong commitment to education and lifelong learning. While working as a SLT, she completed an MSc in Advanced Practice in SLT. Since taking up leadership roles, Dervila has achieved further post graduate qualifications in health economics, corporate governance and an MSc in health care leadership. Dervila is also a qualified business and executive coach.
Dervila Eyres is appointed following nomination by the Health Service Executive with effect from 7 October 2024 and ending 6 October 2028.