The type of public sector body can vary greatly, and includes, for example, government departments, state bodies and agencies, public education institutions, hospitals, grant aiding authorities, regulatory agencies, local authorities and local authority entities. Organisations that are primarily funded by the public sector will also be subject to certain rules and conditions of funding, and understanding public sector requirements is useful, for example Section 39 Non-Statutory Agencies.

Existing and prospective directors should be aware of the responsibilities and risks involved, and the unique character of boards of organisations established in the public sector.

Relevant issues will be addressed in the context of a range of related organisations, including State bodies and agencies, Local Authorities, and certain State funded entities, e.g. “Section 39 bodies”.

Format

This course will be delivered via Zoom on Wednesday 11 June 2025 from 1pm to 2pm. The link to acess this course will be emailed to participants the day before the course is due to take place.

Who should attend

This course is designed for members who are non-executive directors or are considering/seeking a non-executive role in the Public Sector.

This course is suitable for accountants at all stages of their career.

It will also be useful for advisors and professionals who work in the public sector or provide advisory services to public sector bodies.

Course overview

• Introduction: the importance of professional accountants in the public sector.
• Key matters to consider when deciding to join a public sector company board.
• Panel discussions
  o Where professional accountants can contribute
  o What are the risks?
  o Where can they get assistance
• Questions and answers

The webinar will be moderated by chaired by Justin McCarthy chairman of the Chartered Accountants Ireland Public Sector Committee.

Key learning outcomes

By the end of this course, participants wil be able to:

• Increase understanding of roles on boards and committees of organisations operating in the public sector.
• Understand risks, opportunities and responsibilities associated with serving on a committee or board of an organisation operating in the public sector.
• Gain insights on what to expect from taking on a non-executive role in a public sector organisation.

Speaker Bios

Brendan Lenihan is Managing Director of Navigo Consulting and is a Professional Non-Executive Director/Chair, Chartered Accountant, Management Consultant and Mediator. Navigo provides advisory, skill building and board evaluation services to a wide variety of boards and businesses in Ireland and the UK.  To this he brings his experience of serving on state boards including as Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee of a number of large State organisations such as HSE, Bus Eireann, An Post and is currently a member of the Investment Committee in Enterprise Ireland. He is Board Chair of Irish International Trading Corporation plc and the Advisory Board of Regan Wall Business Law Firm.  Previously he was Group Finance Director of a multinational property company, President of Chartered Accountants Ireland and a Partner with Arthur Andersen, with whom he worked in Dublin and New York.

Aidan Horan, a chartered certified account, is a recognised subject matter specialist in corporate and financial governance, risk management and assurance. He is a former director with the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) where he continues to work as a senior associate. As an independent consultant, he provides consultancy, advisory and support services to commercial and non-commercial state bodies and governance and leadership teams across many key sectors. He has worked on and supported the development and publication of governance codes across a range of sectors including state and higher education. He has been commissioned to lead and contribute to various governance, risk and assurance related examinations in different sectors. Over the years, he been nominated to various non-executive roles including as a public interest nominee within the health regulatory sector and as chairperson of the audit committees of both the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. He is also a member of the Public Financial Management Board and the Sustainability Forum of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (UK). He is currently a board director of a charity, an audit and risk committee chairperson as well as occupying several other independent governance roles.

Aoiffe Moran is a Partner in the Professional Regulatory and Investigations Team in Mason Hayes and Curran LLP. Aoiffe helps public bodies to comply with public law requirements. with a particular focus on statutory interpretation, freedom of information, conduct of investigations and governance. Aoiffe has specialised in public and regulatory law for over fifteen years. Aoiffe regularly works with public bodies providing strategic advice on key compliance and governance issues and the implementation of policies and procedures. The regulatory landscape is constantly changing and evolving. Aoiffe recognises the challenges faced by public bodies and works to ensure that her clients are well briefed about what is coming down the tracks. 
 
Justin McCarthy is Head of Internal Audit at University College Dublin (UCD) and Chair of the Chartered Accountants Ireland Public Sector Committee.

Contact us

If you have any questions regarding this or any other CPD course or requirements, please feel free to contact the team here or call us at (+353) 01 523 3930