Appointment as Ordinary Member to the Board of the Health Insurance Authority

The closing date for this vacancy is 30/10/2026, 15:00

Vacancy ID

9433

Department/Authority

Minister for Health

Department/Authority Website

https://www.hia.ie/

Advertising Date

02/10/2026

County

Dublin

Location

Dublin

Closing Date for Application

30/10/2026, 15:00

Type of role

Civil Service

Accessibility Information: We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act. Please see our Statement on Accessibility

Please note that the language you choose to begin your application with cannot be changed once the "Apply" button is selected. If your application form is in English, your communications will be in English.

To submit your application through Irish and receive communications in Irish, please ensure you are on the Irish language version of our website www.publicjobs.ie/ga before you access the vacancy you wish to apply for, and click "Déan iarratas" to apply.

Role Overview

The Minister for Health invites applications from suitably qualified candidates to fill one Ordinary board vacancy and to form a panel for future vacancies on the Board of the Health Insurance Authority which will become vacant from June 2027.

Candidates wishing to apply must demonstrate in their application evidence of experience at an appropriately senior level under one or more of the following profiles:

Profile 1 – Actuarial

The current vacancy will be taken from this panel.

Essential

Candidates must demonstrate in their application evidence of substantial actuarial expertise at an appropriately senior level. Candidates should also be a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries in Ireland, or equivalent.

Candidates wishing to apply must also demonstrate in their application evidence of two or more of the following:

• Expertise in insurance, risk and finance. • Strong analytical and strategic judgement. • Understanding of board responsibilities and fiduciary duties. • An ability to clearly communicate complex issues. • Experience supporting strategic decisions and governance

Desirable

It is also desirable that candidates demonstrate evidence of experience in or knowledge of the following:

• the Irish health insurance sector, with an understanding of relevant emerging issues and challenges. • private health insurance regulation in Ireland or in other jurisdictions with open enrolment and lifetime community rating. • a regulatory, supervisory or public sector environment. • one or more of the following areas: o Health economics; o Financial regulation; o Solvency II and prudential regulation; o Data analytics and predictive modelling; o Enterprise risk management. • engagement with a diverse range of stakeholders, including government bodies, regulators, industry participants and consumer representatives.

Profile 2 – Legal/Financial/Governance Expertise

Essential

Candidates must demonstrate a strong track record of leadership and achievement with a relevant professional qualification or equivalent senior experience in law, accountancy, governance, audit, risk, regulation or a related profession. Candidates should have a senior professional background in the public or private sector that would enable them to make a significant contribution to the Board's strategic oversight and decision-making responsibilities.

Desirable

It is desirable that candidates also demonstrate:

• Board or Committee experience. • Experience advising Boards or senior leadership on strategic, legal, financial or governance matters. • Relevant experience at a senior level in the public, private or commercial sector. • Knowledge of healthcare, health insurance, regulation, consumer protection or public policy. • Strategic judgement and strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

For Profile 1 and Profile 2 candidates must also demonstrate:

• The ability to analyse complex issues, exercise independent judgement and provide constructive challenge in support of effective Board decision-making. • A strong understanding of governance, accountability and public service values. • A commitment to integrity, transparency and ethical conduct.

Closing Date: 15:00 on 30th of October 2026

Information Booklet Health Insurance Authority.pdf – 675KB Opens in a new window https://publicjobs.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-1/brand-4/candidate/download_file_opp/9433/406178/1/0/72d0883c3b38131e1ce5943ed01a75a054e74f78

Candidate =: BB see" Information Booklet 9433: Appointment as Ordinary Member to the Board of the Health Insurance Authority Location: Dublin Client: Minister for Health Closing Date: 15:00 on 30th of October 2026

State Boards Division publicjobs publicjobs refers to Public Appointments Service established under the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004-2013. The Public Appointments Service (PAS), established under statute in 2004, provides an independent shared service in recruitment, assessment and selection to organisations across the Civil and Public Services. publicjobs also has responsibility for providing an open, accessible, rigorous and transparent system to support Ministers in making appointments to State Boards. Our dedicated website, www.publicjobs.ie, is the channel through which publicjobs advertises vacancies on State Boards. It is also the means through which accomplished, experienced and qualified people, including people who might not previously have been identified as available for appointment, can then apply to be considered for particular vacancies.

Contact: State Boards publicjobs Email: [email protected] URL: www.publicjobs.ie

Membership of State Boards High standards of corporate governance in all State Agencies, whether in the commercial or non-commercial sphere, are critical to ensuring a positive contribution to the State’s overall social and economic development. Members of State Boards are appointed to act on behalf of the citizen to oversee the running of the affairs of state bodies. State bodies must serve the interests of the taxpayer, pursue value for money in their endeavours (including managing risk appropriately), and act transparently as public entities. Members of State Boards, and the relevant management team, are accountable for the proper management of the organisation. Board members should act on a fully informed basis, in good faith, with due diligence and care, and in the best interest of the State body, subject to the objectives set by Government. In that regard and in accordance with 13.2 of the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards, “it is advisable that no member of a State Board should serve more than two full terms of appointment or should hold appointments to more than two State Boards.” The Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies 2016 (the Code) provides a framework for the application of best practice in corporate governance by both commercial and non-commercial State bodies. In order to be an effective contributor on a State Board it is recommended that members should: • bring independent and objective scrutiny to the oversight of the organisation; • be prepared to be challenging when necessary while being supportive to the delivery of organisational strategy and objectives; • be equipped to offer considered advice on the basis of sound judgement and experience; • be prepared to make a time commitment to their work commensurate with their role.

Appointment as Ordinary Member to the Board of the Health Insurance Authority

Location of Meetings:

Health Insurance Authority, Beaux Lane House, Mercer Street Lower, Dublin 2

Number of Vacancies:

1

Remuneration:

€5,985 Travel and subsistence is paid at appropriate Civil Service Rates. (It should be noted that in line with the ‘One Person One Salary’ principle, no public servant will be entitled to receive remuneration in the form of board fees, save for situations that are statutorily provided for e.g. Worker Directors).

Time Requirements:

Approximately 8 meetings each lasting a maximum of 3 hours with one full day off-site meeting. Members may be expected to join a subcommittee, Combined Board/subcommittee attendance and preparatory work brings the total time commitment required to approximately thirteen days per annum.

Candidates’ attention is also drawn to the provisions of the Code in relation to Audit and Risk Committee membership which can be found here. 1. Background The Health Insurance Authority (the ‘Authority’) is the statutory regulator of the private health insurance market in Ireland. The Authority was established by Ministerial Order on 1st February 2001 under the Health Insurance Act 1994, as amended and operates in accordance with the provisions of this Act. The Authority monitors market developments, oversees compliance with the Health Insurance Act, manages and advises on the operation of the Risk Equalisation Scheme, and provides clear, evidence-based analysis to the Minister for Health. The sector is entering a transition period where long-term system reform through Sláintecare, demographic change and international cost trends are reshaping how private health insurance operates. Joining the Authority’s Board at this moment offers the opportunity to strengthen the evidence base that informs national policy and guide the organisation’s strategic direction as it adapts to a more complex and rapidly changing environment. The Health Insurance Act sets out the main objective of Ireland’s health insurance system: to make sure everyone can access health insurance on equal terms, regardless of their age, health status, gender or how often they need treatment. The legislation provides for tools such as risk-equalisation credits and stamp duty to support this objective.

The Act also sets out the core principles that underpin the market: community rating (everyone pays the same for the same plan), open enrolment (insurers must accept all applicants), lifetime cover (insurers cannot refuse to renew a policy) and minimum benefit (all plans must meet set minimum standards). The Authority is independent in the exercise of its functions. The principal functions of the Authority as provided for in the Health Insurance Acts include the following: • • • • • •

To manage and administer the Risk Equalisation Scheme, To maintain the Register of health insurers and insurance contracts, To analyse returns made to it by the health insurers, To increase the public’s awareness of their rights as health insurance consumers, To advise the Minister for Health on the regulation of the market and health insurance generally, and in particular concerning the operation of the principle of community rating, and To monitor developments in the health insurance market generally.

The Authority exercises such powers as are necessary for the performance of its functions. The Minister for Health may assign further responsibilities to the Authority as provided for in the Health Insurance Act. The Authority’s Strategic Plan 2025-2028 has three strategic priorities as follows: 1. To have well informed consumers 2. To have a well-functioning market 3. Building organisational capacity 2. Functions of the Board The Health Insurance Authority has seven members including the Chairperson. In consideration of the increasing complexity of the market and to ensure there is an appropriate mix of skills on the Board, the Health Insurance Act was amended in 2018 to provide for a Board of seven members (including the Chair) instead of five. The Board typically meets at least eight times a year, and its functions include: • • • • • • •

Setting strategic direction – approving the Strategic Plan, corporate priorities and any major policy or strategic changes. Oversight of performance – monitoring and holding the Chief Executive/Registrar and senior management to account for the effective performance of their functions. Statutory functions – exercising any functions assigned to the Authority under the Health Insurance Act, including decisions expressly reserved to the Authority. Financial stewardship – approving the annual budget, major investments, capital projects and the Annual Report and Financial Statements. Governance and risk – approving the Risk Management Framework, setting risk appetite, and ensuring that systems of internal control and risk management are robust and defensible. Corporate policies – approving the Authority’s policies in line with the Policy Approval Schedule. Appointments and HR matters – approving the appointment, remuneration, performance assessment and succession planning for the Chief Executive/Registrar.

• • •

Board effectiveness – conducting annual self-assessments and commissioning external evaluations at least every three years in line with the Code of Practice. Committee governance – establishing sub-committees as required, approving their Terms of Reference and reviewing their effectiveness annually. Accountability to the Minister – keeping the Minister for Health informed of material matters arising within the Authority.

The Authority has established an Audit and Risk Committee with its own terms of reference. This Committee comprises three Members of the Authority and must meet at least four times per year. The Risk Equalisation and Policy Affairs Committee comprises three Members of the Authority and meets at least twice per year. The Performance Liaison Sub Committee comprises three Members of the Authority and meets as required. Current composition of the Board: Name

First Appointed

Reappointed

Expiry Date

Position type

Caroline Barlow

24/06/2019

24/06/2024

23/06/2027

Chair Designate

Dr. John Evans

24/06/2021

24/06/2026

23/06/2029

Board Member

Michael A. O'Sullivan

24/06/2019

24/06/2024

23/06/2027

Board Member

Damien McShane

05/07/2019

05/07/2022

04/07/2027

Board Member

Michael Harnett

14/09/2023

N/A

04/07/2027

Board Member

John Armstrong

18/09/2019

18/09/2022

17/09/2027

Board Member

Basis of Appointment Appointed as Ordinary Member by Minister for Health following an open recruitment process. Appointed by Minister for Health following an open recruitment process Appointed by Minister for Health following an open recruitment process Appointed by Minister for Health following an open recruitment process Appointed by Minister for Health following an open recruitment process Appointed by Minister for Health following an open recruitment process

3. Person Specification The Minister for Health invites applications from suitably qualified candidates to fill one Ordinary board vacancy and to form a panel for future vacancies on the Board of the Health Insurance Authority which will become vacant from June 2027. Candidates’ attention is drawn to the provisions of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies in relation to the role of a board member, where the principle states: •

Each state body should be headed by an effective board which is collectively responsible for the long-term sustainability of the body.

•

Non-executive board members should bring an independent judgement to bear on issues of strategy, performance resources, key appointments and standard of conduct.

Details on the role of board members can be found in Section 3 of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies which can be found here. Candidates wishing to apply must demonstrate in their application evidence of experience at an appropriately senior level under one or more of the following profiles: Profile 1 – Actuarial The current vacancy will be taken from this panel. Essential Candidates must demonstrate in their application evidence of substantial actuarial expertise at an appropriately senior level. Candidates should also be a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries in Ireland, or equivalent. Candidates wishing to apply must also demonstrate in their application evidence of two or more of the following: • • • • •

Expertise in insurance, risk and finance. Strong analytical and strategic judgement. Understanding of board responsibilities and fiduciary duties. An ability to clearly communicate complex issues. Experience supporting strategic decisions and governance

Desirable It is also desirable that candidates demonstrate evidence of experience in or knowledge of the following: • • •

the Irish health insurance sector, with an understanding of relevant emerging issues and challenges. private health insurance regulation in Ireland or in other jurisdictions with open enrolment and lifetime community rating. a regulatory, supervisory or public sector environment.

•

•

one or more of the following areas: o Health economics; o Financial regulation; o Solvency II and prudential regulation; o Data analytics and predictive modelling; o Enterprise risk management. engagement with a diverse range of stakeholders, including government bodies, regulators, industry participants and consumer representatives.

Profile 2 – Legal/Financial/Governance Expertise Essential Candidates must demonstrate a strong track record of leadership and achievement with a relevant professional qualification or equivalent senior experience in law, accountancy, governance, audit, risk, regulation or a related profession. Candidates should have a senior professional background in the public or private sector that would enable them to make a significant contribution to the Board's strategic oversight and decision-making responsibilities. Desirable It is desirable that candidates also demonstrate: • • • • •

Board or Committee experience. Experience advising Boards or senior leadership on strategic, legal, financial or governance matters. Relevant experience at a senior level in the public, private or commercial sector. Knowledge of healthcare, health insurance, regulation, consumer protection or public policy. Strategic judgement and strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

For Profile 1 and Profile 2 candidates must also demonstrate: • • •

The ability to analyse complex issues, exercise independent judgement and provide constructive challenge in support of effective Board decision-making. A strong understanding of governance, accountability and public service values. A commitment to integrity, transparency and ethical conduct.

The Minister encourages applications from diverse, qualified candidates to ensure the Board is a true reflection of Irish society and shall have regard to the desirability for gender balance, diversity and inclusion on the Board as the Minister considers appropriate and determines from time to time when making appointments, in line with the updated Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies 2016. In order to qualify for appointment a person must not have any legal impediment or conflicts of interest likely to interfere with his/her ability to assume the role of Ordinary Member of the Board. Please give careful consideration to the possibility of any potential conflict of interest that may exist and address this in your cover letter. The Assessment Panel may decide, based on the perceived level of conflict, not to forward your name for consideration.

4.

Term of Appointment

Appointments to the Board will be for an initial period of up to 5 years and may be extended for one further term up to a total of 8 years, subject to: • • •

•

•

5.

The Minister may at any time remove an ordinary member of the Authority from office. An ordinary member of the Authority may resign his or her office as a member by letter addressed to the Minister. Members of the Board shall, subject to the provisions of Schedule 1 to the Health Insurance Act 1994, as amended, hold office upon such terms and conditions as the Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, from time to time determine. The roles and responsibilities of Board Members are described in the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies 2016 which is available here Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. A board member shall cease to be a member of the board if he or she is nominated as a member of Seanad Éireann, is elected as a member of either House of the Oireachtas or to the European Parliament or is regarded as having been elected to the European Parliament.

Submitting your Application

Having considered the general suitability criteria for membership of a State Board, you should consider carefully how your background and experience fits with the specific appointment criteria set out in the Person Specification section in this booklet. Your submission should be made via the following link www.publicjobs.ie together with your Curriculum Vitae and a cover letter (see Appendix 1 of this booklet for help with the online process). IMPORTANT NOTE Please take care when submitting your expression of interest. As the Assessment Panel will generally make its recommendation(s) based on consideration of the documentation which you submit, it is most important that you do the following: i.

ii.

Ensure your Cover Letter (and supporting CV) clearly specifies how your particular background and experience meets the requirements of the Authority position(s) specified in this booklet, and That you fully answer any supplementary questions which are presented to you as part of our online application process.

This will help ensure that the Assessment Panel is as informed as possible as to the basis for your candidature and why you believe you are a person who could potentially be appointed to this State Board. Please only include information that is directly relevant to the particular role for which you are applying. If you have any questions [email protected].

regarding

the

application

process

please

email

6. Assessment Process An Assessment Panel (the “Panel”) will be convened by publicjobs to consider and assess the applications received by publicjobs. The Panel will: •

review and discuss the expressions of interest received against the specific appointment criteria for the role, as advertised in this Information Booklet; • assess potential candidates further once they meet the specified appointment criteria by undertaking any or all of the following steps: o Consideration of the written applications; and/or o Meeting/conference call; and/or o Referee checks; and/or o Any other selection or verification method deemed appropriate (this may include publicjobs requiring statutory declarations from shortlisted applicants as to the bona fides of the qualifications and experience contained in their applications). • arrive at a shortlist of the most suitably qualified candidates (based on the information provided by the candidate) to be sent forward for consideration by the Minister. Please note that publicjobs will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by candidates as part of our selection process. 7. Confidentiality Subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, 2014, applications will be treated in strict confidence. All enquires, applications and all aspects of the proceedings are treated as strictly confidential and are not disclosed to anyone, outside those directly involved in that aspect of the process. Certain items of information, not specific to any individual, are extracted from computer records for general statistical purposes. 8. Protected Disclosures The publicjobs Protected Disclosures Policy (including Reporting Options for all those covered by the Policy) is available here.

9. Data Protection The Data Protection Act 2018 provides that the processing of personal data shall be lawful where such processing is necessary for the performance of a statutory function of a controller. PAS is mandated by statute under the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act, 2004 to act as the centralised assessment and selection body for the civil service and to carry out all the procedures necessary to undertake the recruitment, assessment and selection of suitable candidates for appointment. By submitting your personal data (iPncluding your name, address, contact details and details of your education and work history contained in your curriculum vitae and cover letter) via publicjobs.ie, you acknowledge that such data may be used by publicjobs and disclosed to and used by client departments, in connection with its statutory roles to assist and advise relevant Ministers in relation to appointments to the boards of State bodies. The information contained in your publicjobs profile is yours to manage, amend, update or delete as appropriate. For more detailed information on our Data Protection Policy, please see our Code of Practice for the Protection of Personal Data in publicjobs. If your application is assessed and you are considered to be suitable for appointment your c.v. and cover letter (and any additional supplementary information requested as part of the application process), will be forwarded to the State Board Liaison Officer in the relevant Department. Once it obtains your personal data, the Department will act as data controller of such data and will retain it for up to one year following the appointment/s. Unless you request the withdrawal of your application such data may be used in considering your suitability for other similar vacancies/roles that arise for a period of up to one year for this Board.

APPENDIX 1 In order to submit your application, you should take the following steps: 1. Go to www.publicjobs.ie. 2. On the bar at the top of the page navigate to State Boards and click on ‘Available Appointments’ on the dropdown menu. 3. This brings you to a page with all our advertised vacancies. Select whichever position you would like to apply for (you are welcome to apply for more than one position if you wish). 4. On the relevant page please click on the ‘Apply’ button in the top right or at the bottom of the page. 5. Clicking ‘Apply’ will bring you to the registration page of our recruitment platform. (a) If you are accessing our recruitment platform for the first time you must register to create a new profile. Follow the instructions under ‘Register’ and click ‘Submit Registration’ to register your profile. You will have to complete an email verification step to complete your registration. Follow the link sent to the email address associated with your new account to verify your email. You can now login to your new account as detailed below. (b) If you already have an account, please select the 'Login' button in the top righthand corner or the ‘Login’ link at the bottom of the registration page. 6. Clicking ‘Login’ will redirect you to the login page. Follow the instructions to login to your account. Your username will be the email address associated with your account, and your username and password are case sensitive. 7. Once you login a form will appear on your screen. Follow the instructions on each page and answer all required questions (marked with an asterisk ‘*’). If you have submitted an application through the platform before, some text boxes will be populated with the information you entered on your most recent application. 8. If there is a supplementary question, ensure that your response complies with the word limit and that it does not contain any special characters (i.e. %, & etc.) or you may receive an error message and will be unable to submit your application. 9. You will be required to upload your CV and Cover Letter under the section titled ‘Additional Documents’. These are required documents, and your application cannot be processed without them. Once you have selected these and uploaded them, please click on the ‘Save and Continue’ button at the bottom of the page. 10. Once you have completed your application please press ‘Submit’ on the final page. The system will highlight any areas which require updating if there are any errors. 11. You will receive an e-mail confirmation (to the address listed in your publicjobs.ie profile) to confirm that your application has been submitted.

Please visit the Help Centre if you have questions or encounter technical difficulties navigating the site or making your application. Publicjobs will primarily send communication through your publicjobs candidate portal and email. Please check your candidate portal on a regular basis as email notifications of updates on the campaign issued to your candidate portal may sometimes be filtered into your Junk/Spam email folders (or ‘Promotions’ in the case of Gmail). The onus is on each applicant to ensure that they are in receipt of all communication from publicjobs. publicjobs accepts no responsibility for communication not accessed or received by an applicant. It is strongly recommended that you do not change your email address or mobile phone number during the course of this campaign, as any email/text message notification will be sent to the email address/telephone number originally supplied by you. Register to be notified about future Board vacancies: If you are interested in hearing about future board vacancies, you can keep up to date by using the job alert feature to be notified when new roles become available. To set up a job alert for appointments to State Boards and other Board vacancies follow the steps below: •

Log in or create an account (see Appendix 1 for instructions on registering a new account).

•

Once you have logged in, navigate to your profile settings which can be found by clicking your name in the top righthand corner of your screen.

•

Under the ‘Profile Options’ menu select the ‘Alert Centre’ option.

•

Click ‘Create New Job Alert’

•

Name your job alert in the ‘Alert Title’ field. This can help you keep track of your alerts should you set up more than one.

•

To direct the system to notify you when new State Board and other board roles become available select the following options under ‘Category’: ‘Membership of a State Board’ and ‘’Membership of a Board’.

•

Select the preferred length of time you would like to receive the job alert for under ‘Time Limit’ field. Please note that a job alert cannot be set up indefinitely and will need to be renewed once your selected time limit has elapsed.

•

Click ‘Save’ to begin receiving your job alert.

QO O . . va poistphoibli Sao publicjobs publicjobs, Chapter House, 26/30 Upper Abbey Street, Dublin I. Eircode: DOI C7W6. Phone: Ol 858 7400 You can also keep up to date on publicjobs.ie and follow us on our social platforms: noe x Od