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HSE National Committee for the Governance, Management and Support of Research

The HSE National Committee for the Governance, Management and Support of Research was established in May 2022 to oversee the implementation of the HSE National Framework for the Governance, Management and Support of Health Research (RGMS Framework).

Key Roles

    1. Oversee the implementation of the RGMS Framework to ensure national cohesiveness for health research governance
    2. Provide advice and support to National HSE R&D with regards to the newly developed research governance structures and ethics committees that are currently being set up to implement the framework.
    3. Formal appointing authority for the new HSE Reference RECs

Objectives

    1. Support and oversee the implementation of the HSE Strategic Action Plan for Research 2019-29 and the HSE National Framework for the Governance, Management and support of research
    2. Supporting approaches for research governance and management that address the organisational complexities in order to facilitate collaboration
    3. To act at champions for research at senior management level with a view to promote a research culture within the HSE and its funded organisations
    4. To oversee the outputs of the working groups led by HSE National R&D and provide and to provide steering guidance
    5. Formally confer status of HSE Reference REC to newly set up committees and formally endorse the nomination of the RREC Chair
    6. To provide strategic advise with regards to the implementation of the national research information management system
    7. To support Public and Patient Involvement in Research
    8. To champion the translation of research into policy and practice

Terms of Reference 

The Updated Terms of Reference for the HSE National Committee for the Governance, Management and Support of Research were update in November 2025 and available to read here. 

Membership

1. National Doctors Training and Planning– Interim Chair     Anthony O’Regan  
2. HSE Head of HSE Research & Evidence Ana Terrés  
3. HSE National Finance representative Mairead Dolan  
4. HSE National HR representative Louise Doyle  
5. HSE Data Protection Officer representative Mary Deasey       
6. HSE Data Governance representative Orla Treacy  
7. Chief Academic Officers Group representative Helen Whelton  
8. Patient representative Robert Joyce  
9. Patient representative Ruth Fitzmaurice  
10. Chair of National Clinical Trials Coordination Office Robert O’Connor  
11. Research Ethics Committees Rosalie Smyth Lynch  
12. HSE Integrated Information Service (OCIO) Tom Laffan  
13. Researcher representative Amy O’Higgins  
14. Researcher representative Fionnuala Ni Ainle  
15. HSE Research & Development Maria Quinlan  
16. Voluntary Agencies (Section 38) Tanya King  
17. Department of Health John O’Neill  
18. HSE Quality and Patient Safety Intelligence Louise Hendrick  
19. HSE Access & Integration Ciaran Browne  
20. HSE Patient & Service User Experience Office Iolo Eilian