Appointments to the Medical Council Board:

The Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD has appointed/reappointed the following persons as members to the Medical Council Board.

Candidate Biographies

Aoife Watters

Aoife is a Lecturer in Law in the School of Business and Humanities, Dundalk Institute of Technology where she primarily teaches on professionally regulated programmes across the Schools of Business and Humanities, Engineering, and Health and Science. She also teaches on several of the professionally accredited post-graduate programmes. Aoife has been a member of Academic Council and currently sits on a number of Committees across the Institute. In 2021, Aoife received a Teaching Hero Award awarded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning and the Union of Students in Ireland.

For twenty years, Aoife’s experience and research have focussed on issues pertaining to social justice and human rights, particularly as they apply to vulnerable groups. Aoife has worked for the Office of the Inspector of Prisons, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, Sutherland School of Law, UCD and Oberstown Children Detention Campus. Aoife has previously been appointed as an Expert Member to the Office of the Inspector of Prisons and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture. She was a Committee Member on the All-Island Restraint Reduction Network and currently sits on the Rights Review Committee for a national Residential Services Provider.

Aoife holds qualifications from University of Ulster (LLB Bachelor of Laws with Government), Queens University Belfast (LLM Human Rights and Criminal Justice, Cross-Border), University College Dublin (PhD in Law, where she was the inaugural Fitzpatrick Family Foundation Scholarship Awardee) and Dundalk Institute of Technology (post-graduate Certificate in Research Supervision).

Professor John F. Murphy

Professor Murphy is a UCC graduate and received his postgraduate training both in Ireland and the UK. He is an emeritus Consultant Neonatologist at the National Maternity Hospital, and the Childrens Hospital Temple Street and an Associate Professor of Paediatrics RCSI. He has been a National Specialist Director of the BST and SpR training schemes RCPI. He was the National Clinical Lead in Neonatology, the National Clinical Programmes RCPI and HSE, for over a decade. He is the recipient of the Kathleen Lynn medal, RCPI, for his contribution to Paediatrics in Ireland. He is the chairman of the Research Ethics Committee, the National Maternity Hospital. He is the editor of the Irish Medical Journal. He is the author of over 370 publications and the co-author of a number of textbooks. He has a special interest in the design and safe implementation of clinical services.

Professor Alice V. Stanton

Professor Alice Stanton is a clinician, educator and researcher. She practised as a Consultant Clinical Pharmacologist specialising in hypertension and preventive cardiovascular medicine at St. Mary’s Hospital, London, and at Beaumont and National Maternity Hospitals, Dublin, for a total of 25 years. As a Senior Lecturer, and Professor at Imperial College, London, and at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, she has developed courses, taught and examined in clinical pharmacology, therapeutics, prescribing and medicine. Particular research interests include hypertension, personalized medicine, and the sustainable production of nutrient-rich foods to ensure healthy diets for all. She has been awarded numerous grants and fellowships, and authored in excess of 160 publications. Important leadership roles include; Chairperson of the Irish Heart Foundation Council for High Blood Pressure (2002-2008), Convenor and Co-chairperson of the Beaumont Hospital Ethics (Medical Research) Committee (2007-2014), RCSI Director and Vice Dean of Intermediate Cycle (2013-2020), and Principal Investigator for a wide range of projects and clinical trials.

Brian Murphy

Brian is the Head of Corporate Affairs in the HSE, he has 40 years’ experience in the Irish public health service, having served in the Department of Health, the Western Health Board and the HSE in a variety of operational and national strategic roles. He has extensive experience in many health management areas including Strategic Reform, Primary Care, National Service Planning, Budgetary and Governance. He has led out on several national health reform and innovation programmes, he has studied at the National University of Galway, the Institute of Public Administration and Maynooth University.

Dervila Eyres

Dervila brings extensive experience in health and social care across clinical, management, and leadership roles. She has expertise in governance and the delivery of integrated, high-quality healthcare aligned with national priorities. Dervila has a strong track record of strategic collaboration across the wider health system, government, and external agencies to drive service improvements.

She is committed to building public trust and promoting authentic co-production with people with lived experience to improve outcomes in the North East.

As IHA Manager, Dervila oversees community and acute services in Cavan and Monaghan and retains responsibility for the National Forensic Mental Health Service, following her previous role as Assistant National Director, Mental Health Operations.

With a background as a speech and language therapist, Dervila holds an MSc in Advanced Practice in SLT and further postgraduate qualifications in Health Economics, Corporate Governance, and Healthcare Leadership. She is also an EMCC-accredited Business and Executive Coach. Dervila is a current member of council of PHECC (Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council) and a member of the Secretariat of CAWT Cooperation and Working Together).

Professor Eunan O’ Halpin

Professor Eunan O’Halpin was a lay member of the Bar Council’s Barristers Professional Conduct Tribunal Appeals Tribunal (2012 to 2023). This assessed barristers’ conduct towards clients, the public and colleagues by reference to a published disciplinary code. This required appreciation of how differently the public, and barristers, construed professional obligations and practices. Its proceedings also revealed the personal impact, upon both complainants and individual barristers, of the examination of disciplinary complaints made. Finally, proceedings reflected the need for clarity and fairness in disciplinary procedures, and in non-technical explanation of all findings made.

As the first Chair of the Dublin City University Research and Postgraduate Studies Committee (1989-1992), Professor O’Halpin oversaw the introduction of the university’s codes and procedures for postgraduate student supervision and examination, and appeals framework covering all academic research., and also the drafting of DCU’s first research ethics

At Trinity College Dublin, Professor O’Halpin was the first Director of Post-Graduate Teaching and Learning (2004-2007) in the inter-disciplinary School of Histories and Humanities. He introduced processes for research student progression, training in best research practice, and final examination. He contributed to the reformulation by TCD’s Graduate Studies Committee of the university’s research ethics policy and was a Board representative on the committee which drafted disciplinary regulations incorporated in the revised Statutes (2010). He chaired (2008-10) the Board’s Library and Information Policy Committee. This oversaw the revitalisation of policy relating to data privacy and the legal and ethical use of technology across the institution. He also participated in oversight of TCD’s research framework and its ethical underpinnings.

Professor O’Halpin has long experience of public governance as an elected Board/Authority member in DCU (1992-9) and Trinity College Dublin (2005-12, and 2015-20). He served on the Council of the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) and previously chaired the RIA’s National Committee for the Study of International Relations, and National Committee for History. He was a member of a number of Irish and international academic editorial boards.

Dr Sinéad Murphy

Sinead is a Consultant General Paediatrician with Children’s Health Ireland, where she provides clinical care to infants, children and adolescents across a wide range of general paediatric conditions. Her clinical work includes the management of acute and chronic illness, developmental concerns and preventative care, and I have a particular interest in childhood obesity. She also led the development of a multidisciplinary paediatric overweight service and have contributed to national programmes focused on improving outcomes for children and families.

Alongside her clinical practice, she is also actively involved in medical education and training and the support of development of doctors across the training continuum. She serves as Head of subject of Paediatrics at the UCD School of Medicine and is also the Regional Director for Post Graduate Medical Education and Training at Children’s Health Ireland and a past Director of Education at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.

Dr Murphy brings extensive regulatory and accreditation experience through her work on the Medical Council of Ireland’s Education and Training Committee. This includes contributing to national standards, participating in accreditation processes, and supporting quality assurance in medical education and training.

She places a strong emphasis on clear communication, collaboration and building positive working relationships with patients, families and colleagues and is committed to the medical profession and to the delivery of optimal, patient-centred care, with a focus on safety, professionalism and continuous improvement.

Professor Michelle Leech

Professor Michelle Leech is Professor in Radiation Therapy at the School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin. She directs the BSc Radiation Therapy programme at Trinity College.

Within the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), she is the past Chair of the Radiation Therapist Committee and Blended Learning, and currently sits on the Scientific Council.

Professor Leech also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the ESTRO journal Technical Innovations and Patient Support in Radiation Oncology.

She contributes extensively to the global work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), particularly in the education and training of Radiation Therapists.

In 2020, Professor Leech received the Emmanuel van der Schueren Award in recognition of her excellent scientific work and her significant contribution to ESTRO, particularly in the fields of education and the promotion of radiation oncology as a discipline.

Professor Leech served as a member of the Radiographers Registration Board at CORU from July 2021 to February 2026.