merrion street

The Minister for Health Dr James Reilly has today (Wednesday, 2nd October 2013) welcomed the appointment of Dr Siobhan O’Halloran as Chief Nursing Officer in the Department of Health. The position of Chief Nursing Officer has now been established at the level of Assistant Secretary in the Department, ensuring that the role of nursing and midwifery is represented at the highest level in terms of policy making for the health service.

Commenting on Dr O’Halloran’s appointment Minister Reilly said “nurses and midwives form the bedrock of our health services. As we move to bring about radical change to improve our health services across the board, nurses and midwives are a vital group in achieving those reforms. It is imperative that their voice is heard at the highest level in the department and the appointment of the Chief Nursing Officer at Assistant Secretary level will achieve that aim.”

Dr Siobhan O’Halloran was appointed to the post of Chief Nursing Officer following an open recruitment process conducted by the Public Appointments Service (PAS).

Ends

Notes for Editors:

Dr. Siobhan O’Halloran,PhD, MSc, FFNMRCSI, BNS, RGN, RMHN, RNThas had a distinguished career in nursing spanning over thirty years. Since 1999 she has held several key positions in the Irish health service with the Department of Health (DOH), the HSE and in the nursing education sector. These include Nursing Adviser (DOH); Executive Director, National Implementation Committee (DOH), where she oversaw the transfer of all undergraduate nursing education to the third level sector; Executive Director, Health Reform (DOH); Nursing and Midwifery Services Director (HSE) advising the HSE Management Team and Board on policy direction regarding nursing and midwifery issues; Head of the School of Nursing, Midwifery, Health Studies and Applied Science at Dundalk Institute of Technology.

In January 2011 Dr O’Halloran was appointed HSE Assistant National Director with lead responsibility for Acute Services. Most recently she was tasked with establishing the Programme Management Office within the Department of Health to implement the Government’s health reform programme, Future Health.