Appointments as Ordinary Member to the Board of the Dental Council

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

Vacancy ID

9566

Department/Authority

Minister for Health

Department/Authority Website

https://www.dentalcouncil.ie/

Advertising Date

09/10/2026

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 the positions of Ordinary Member to the Board of the Dental Council.

Vacancy 1: Ministerial Appointee

Essential

Candidates wishing to apply must demonstrate in their application evidence of experience at the appropriately senior level in the following area:

• Clinical experience working as a dental hygienist in the Irish health system but shall not be an Honorary Officer nor a Committee member of the representative body of Hygienists in Ireland, the Irish Dental Hygienists Association (IDHA). Candidates are not permitted to become an Honorary Officer nor a Committee member of the IDHA during their tenure with Dental Council due to potential, enduring conflicts of interest.

Vacancy 2: Ministerial Appointee representing the interests of the general public as consumers of dental services.

The Minister for Health will fill one vacancy with the consent of the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and this member will, at a minimum, sit on the Fitness To Practise Committee.

Essential

• Must not be a registered dentist. • Demonstrate experience which is indicative of the ability to speak on behalf of others and/or to represent consumer interests and/or to evaluate professional performance.

Essential for both profiles

• Effective judgement. Ability to consider diverse opinions, including the needs of the consumer, and maintain own values and opinions despite opposition and influence; • Ability to consider information and follow a logical sequence to make decisions, to focus on improvement • Commitment to acting in the public interest and understanding of the role that the Dental Council plays in protecting the public.

Desirable for both profiles

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

• Knowledge of the Irish health system, higher education system and research • An understanding of the environment that the Dental Council operates in an its relationships with key stakeholders • Knowledge of the legal and regulatory environment. • Knowledge of corporate governance/previous board experience • Independent thinking and open mindedness • Effective communication skills.

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

Dental Council Final Information Booklet.pdf – 418KB Opens in a new window https://publicjobs.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-1/brand-4/candidate/download_file_opp/9566/406178/1/0/a0d3f91fa92d962cd463e6d5f45dfafc95a11938

9566 Appointments as Ordinary Member to the Board of the Dental Council Dublin Minister for Health Closing Date: 15:00 on Friday 30th October 2026

State Boards Division publicjobs 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 refers to Public Appointments Service established under the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 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.

Appointments as Ordinary Member to the Board of the Dental Council

Location of Meetings:

57 Merrion Square, Dublin, D02 EH90

Number of Vacancies:

2

Remuneration:

Nil 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:

Routine Council Meetings: 4-5 half-day routine Council meetings per annum, which usually take place in-person in Dental Council offices on Thursday mornings. Additional Council meetings may be required to consider emergency suspension applications or fitness to practise matters. Committee Meetings: Meetings of the different committees are generally all held on the same day, about a month in advance of Council meetings (i.e. 4/5 committee meetings per annum). These committee meetings typically alternate between being held in-person and virtually. Newly appointed members will be expected to take an active part in meetings of committees of which they are a member (approx.2 hrs per meeting). Members of the Fitness to Practise (FTP) Committee will be required to meet to consider whether to make prima facie decisions and also to sit on Inquiries. There are generally 3-4 Inquiries per year in addition to scheduled committee meetings to consider whether to make prima facie decisions (approx. 6-7 meetings per annum). At least one of the two representatives of dental consumers sits on the FTP Committee, and it would be important that the people appointed commit to being available to sit on Inquiries. This Inquiry commitment could be 10-15 days over the five-year term in addition to the ordinary FTP committee meetings. In summary – overall time requirement of approx. 8-10 days per annum for routine Council/committee meetings (excluding FTP inquiries and special council meetings)

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 An Chomhairle Fiacloireachta, the Dental Council, was established under the provisions of the Dentists Act 1985. Its general concern is to promote high standards of professional education and professional conduct among dentists.

2. Functions of the Board The main functions assigned to the Council under the Act are: •

•

•

• • • • •

To establish, maintain and publish a Register of Dentists and a Register of Dental Specialists and to provide for the registration and the retention of dentists names in these registers. To satisfy itself as to the adequacy and suitability of the dental education and training provided in the State's dental schools and to the standards required at examinations for primary qualifications. To inquire into the fitness of a registered dentist to practise dentistry on the grounds of his alleged professional misconduct or his alleged unfitness to practise by reason of physical or mental disability and to take appropriate action. The Council has power, subject in some instances to confirmation by the High Court to advise, admonish, censure, suspend, attach conditions to registration or erase a dentist's name from the Register. To make, with the consent of the Minister, schemes for the establishment of classes of auxiliary dental workers. To discharge the duties assigned to the Council pursuant to the provisions of EU Dental Directives. To guide the dental profession on all matters relating to dental ethics and professional behaviour. To inform the public of general matters relating to dentistry including in relation to dental ethics and professional behaviour. To advise the Minister on all matters relating to the functions of the Council under the Act.

The Dentists Act 1985 makes provisions for the establishment by the Dental Council of statutory committees to act in relation to the Council’s functions in the following areas: •

Education and Training

•

Auxiliary Dental Workers

•

Fitness to Practise

Each committee may establish sub-committees to examine in detail special topics and report back to the parent committee. It is expected that members of the Dental Council will participate in one or more the statutory committees. As well as the statutory committees, the Dental Council has also established a Finance and General Purposes Committee, an Audit and Risk Committee and a Specialist Training and Registration Committee, which reports to the Education and Training Committee. The Dental Council’s plans for the period 2024 – 2027 are set out in its Strategic Plan.

Current composition of the Board: Name

First Appointed

Alison Dougal (Prof)

13/11/2025

Reappointed

Expiry Date

Position type

12/11/2030

Board Member Board Member

Vacancy Anthony Roberts (Prof)

13/11/2020

12/11/2030

Board Member

Enda Whelan (Dr)

13/11/2025

12/11/2030

Board Member

Frank Burke (Dr)

13/11/2025

12/11/2030

President

Gerry Kearns (Dr)

13/11/2025

12/11/2030

Board Member

Jill Long

13/11/2025

12/11/2030

Board Member

Kirsten Fiztgerald (Dr)

13/11/2025

12/11/2030

Board Member

Lewis Winning (Prof)

13/11/2025

12/11/2030

Board Member

13/11/2025

Board Member

Vacancy 07/09/2031

Board Member

09/03/2026

08/03/2031

Board Member

13/11/2025

12/11/2030

Board Member

Mary Faulkner

08/09/2021

Muríosa Prendergast PJ Byrne (Dr)

08/09/2026

Name

First Appointed

Pat Cleary (Dr)

13/11/2025

Reappointed

Expiry Date

Position type

12/11/2030

Board Member Board Member

Vacancy Rícheal Ní Ríordáin (Prof)

13/11/2025

12/11/2030

Board Member

Sarah Hyde (Dr)

13/11/2025

12/11/2030

Board Member

Sarah Jane Grufferty (Dr)

03/03/2021

13/11/2025

12/11/2030

Vice President

Ursula Byrne

08/09/2021

08/09/2026

07/09/2031

Board Member

3. Person Specification The Minister for Health invites applications from suitably qualified candidates to fill the positions of Ordinary Member to the Board of the Dental Council. 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. Legislative Provisions The Dentists Act 1985 states that: 9.(1) The Council shall consist of 19 members appointed in the following manner, that is to say (a) two persons appointed by each of the following bodies— (i) University College Cork; (ii) the University of Dublin; (b) one person appointed by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland; (c) seven fully registered dentists resident in the State appointed by election by fully registered dentists;

(d) two persons appointed by the Medical Council; (e) one person appointed by the Minister for Further and Education, Research, Innovation and Science; (f) four persons appointed by the Minister (for Health), at least two of whom— (i) shall not be registered dentists, and (ii) shall, in the opinion of the Minister, after consultation with the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism, represent the interests of the general public as consumers of dental services. Of the two vacancies to be filled, one of these must not be a registered dentist and will, in the opinion of the Minister, after consultation with the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, represent the interests of the general public as consumers of dental services. As per Section 9 (1) (f) of the Dentists Act 1985: ((f) four persons appointed by the Minister (for Health), at least two of whom— (i) shall not be registered dentists, and (ii) shall, in the opinion of the Minister, after consultation with the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism, represent the interests of the general public as consumers of dental services.) Vacancy 1: Ministerial Appointee Essential Candidates wishing to apply must demonstrate in their application evidence of experience at the appropriately senior level in the following area: •

Clinical experience working as a dental hygienist in the Irish health system but shall not be an Honorary Officer nor a Committee member of the representative body of Hygienists in Ireland, the Irish Dental Hygienists Association (IDHA). Candidates are not permitted to become an Honorary Officer nor a Committee member of the IDHA during their tenure with Dental Council due to potential, enduring conflicts of interest.

Vacancy 2: Ministerial Appointee representing the interests of the general public as consumers of dental services. The Minister for Health will fill one vacancy with the consent of the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and this member will, at a minimum, sit on the Fitness To Practise Committee. Essential • Must not be a registered dentist. • Demonstrate experience which is indicative of the ability to speak on behalf of others and/or to represent consumer interests and/or to evaluate professional performance.

Essential for both profiles • • •

Effective judgement. Ability to consider diverse opinions, including the needs of the consumer, and maintain own values and opinions despite opposition and influence; Ability to consider information and follow a logical sequence to make decisions, to focus on improvement Commitment to acting in the public interest and understanding of the role that the Dental Council plays in protecting the public.

Desirable for both profiles It is also desirable that candidates demonstrate evidence of experience in the following: • • • • • •

Knowledge of the Irish health system, higher education system and research An understanding of the environment that the Dental Council operates in an its relationships with key stakeholders Knowledge of the legal and regulatory environment. Knowledge of corporate governance/previous board experience Independent thinking and open mindedness Effective communication skills.

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 Council. 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 5 years and may be extended for one further term of 5 years, subject to: •

The membership of any member of the Board may be terminated by the Minister at any time, on the basis of reasons to be stated by the Minister.

5.

•

A member of the Board may resign his or her membership of the Board by notice in writing sent or given to the Minister, and the resignation shall take effect on the day on which the Minister receives the notice.

•

Members of the Board shall, subject to the provisions of this Schedule, 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 as a representative in the European Parliament or 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.

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

ii.

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: 1. 2.

•

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 PAS 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 Acts, 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 (including 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.

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