Rotunda approves Professor Sean Daly as the new master after the meeting was brought forward several months amid controversy

The Rotunda board has advanced a meeting to approve Professor Sean Daly as the hospital’s new director after criticism of the appointment process.

Rotunda Hospital’s board of directors has unanimously agreed to ratify “immediately” an interview committee’s decision to appoint Professor Daly as the hospital’s 40th director.

It said the meeting had been brought forward, citing the “public interest” in the appointment, and was satisfied the recruitment process was “rigorous” in deciding between three “outstanding” candidates.

Last week the Irish Independent announced that Professor Daly had been selected for the role by a panel including one of his private business partners, the outgoing master Professor Fergal Malone.

Professor Daly, who was chosen over two female colleagues, Professor Maeve Eogan and Professor Jennifer Donnelly, was selected by a selection panel made up of nine men and four women.

It will mean that the new boss of Ireland’s busiest and oldest maternity hospital will be a man for the 40th year in a row. The Rotunda is the only one of Dublin’s three maternity hospitals that has never had a female master.

A special meeting of the Board of Governors met last Thursday to consider Professor Daly’s appointment to the Masters.

The board said the meeting required to ratify a master’s appointment has been brought forward by a few months due to “public interest” in the appointment.

In a statement, the board said the process for appointing a master is “rigorous and involves a recommendation from a diverse and suitably qualified interview panel” who followed codes of practice established by the Commission on Civil Service Appointments. Three “excellent” candidates were said to have been interviewed for the job.

“After careful consideration of all relevant factors, the board made the unanimous decision to immediately ratify the interview panel’s recommendation,” it said.

“This Board ratification included a comprehensive review of the Championship recruitment and selection process. Following this review, and having satisfied full compliance with the provisions of the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004, the Board voted unanimously to confirm the appointment of Professor Seán Daly as the 40th Master of the Rotunda.”

It said it had “taken note of” media comments on the appointment process. Two leading experts in women’s health care, Professor Louise Kenny and Dr. Gabriel Scally, had criticized the lack of gender balance in the interview panel.

The Rotunda said it will “use this feedback and any learnings to continue improving the hospital’s recruitment and selection process, with the aim of continuing to attract and retain the best qualified candidates to ensure mothers and their.” Relatives are offered the best possible care babies.”