Press release
Minister for Health announces three new appointments to the HSE Board
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced the appointment of Mr. Michael Cawley, Ms. Lily Collison and Mr. Kenneth Mealy to the board of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The appointments come following government approval.
The Minister said:
"I am pleased to welcome to Mr. Michael Cawley, Ms. Lily Collison, and Mr. Kenneth Mealy as they join the HSE board, assuming significant and demanding roles during this critical period.
"The board plays a crucial role in enhancing governance, oversight, and the overall performance of the HSE. Embedding a culture of productivity, the patient voice and driving improvements in performance are key priorities for Government. These appointments will ensure that the Board will be supported to implement reform and improve the delivery of health and social care services for patients."
The appointment of the three new members brings the total membership of the board to eleven members. The new appointees will attend their first Board meeting in October.
Mr. Cawley is appointed under the ‘Financial Expertise’ provision, while Ms. Collison, who is a member of the Paediatric Spinal Taskforce set up by the Minister, is appointed under the ‘Patient Advocacy’ provision. Mr. Mealy is appointed under the provision requiring the candidate to have practiced as a member of a health profession.
Michael Cawley is a Qualified Chartered Accountant and has formerly acted as Chairperson of Linked Finance and Fáilte Ireland, the Chair of the Audit Committees of both Flutter (formerly Paddy Power Betfair) and Kingspan. Michael served as Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer of Ryanair from 2002-14.
Michael currently holds the following external appointments: Hostelworld (Chairperson), Gowan Group Limited (Board Member) and is a former Board member of PrepayPower, Clancourt, Ryanair and Winthrop Technologies.
This appointment is effective from 30 September 2024 until 29 September 2027.
Lily Collison is a long-time advocate for cerebral palsy care. She has a Master’s degree in Science and is Program Director at Gillette Children’s Healthcare Press and a member of the Board of Directors of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Lily previously served as a Board Member on the Board of Inland Waterways.
Lily’s adult son has spastic diplegia. In 2020, she wrote “Spastic Diplegia–Bilateral Cerebral Palsy” in conjunction with senior medical staff at Gillette Children’s. Lily co-authored “Pure Grit: Stories of Remarkable People Living with Physical Disability” with Kara Buckley. “Pure Grit” tells the stories of nineteen people across the globe, who grew up with physical disability and are living and thriving in diverse fields.
With a background in science, her 30+ year career included senior management positions in industry and education. Lily has also acted as Founder and Managing Director of SQT Training Ltd in Limerick, and as a lecturer in Quality Management at Atlantic Technological University (formerly IT Sligo).
This appointment is effective from 30 September 2024 until 29 September 2027.
Kenneth Mealy is a consultant general surgeon and the current Chair of the Forum of Irish Postgraduate Medical Training Bodies. He is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, and his surgical training took place in Dublin and the UK. Kenneth was a Research Fellow in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School from 1987 – 1989. He has been Joint Lead of the National Clinical Programme in Surgery (2010 – 2019 and 2021 - present). He was instrumental in setting up the National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA) in 2012 and is currently Chair of the NOCA Board. He has had a long interest in performance management and quality improvement in surgery and has published widely on these and other surgical topics. He is a former President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Kenneth is currently Clinical Director of the Liver Transplant and HPB Unit at St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin. Kenneth has previously acted as Chair of the Surgical Forum, and is currently Chair of the Forum of Irish Postgraduate Training Bodies and the Medical Intern Board.
This appointment is effective from 30 September 2024 until 29 September 2027.