Children’s Health Ireland and Flood Risks Highlighted at Public Accounts Committee
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Ireland has recently addressed concerns regarding financial practices at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) and the escalating risks posed by climate change, particularly concerning flooding. These issues were brought to light during hearings held in February and March of 2026.
CHI Christmas Party Funding and Settlement Agreements
During a February 26, 2026, debate, the Committee questioned funding received by Skillnet Ireland [1]. The PAC also examined a €30,000 payment made to CHI by a concession holder towards the cost of a staff Christmas party. Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) Seamus McCarthy revealed that his staff identified the funds in an account controlled by CHI.
The board of CHI subsequently agreed to return the money to the donor after being alerted by McCarthy’s staff. Joe Neville, a Fine Gael TD, expressed concern that the payment could be perceived as a “kind of kickback.” McCarthy also highlighted a settlement agreement involving the former chief executive of CHI, Eilish Hardiman, who retained her existing salary of almost €184,000 when appointed to a new role as CHI’s strategic programme director [4].
McCarthy noted that such settlements “will typically have a non-disclosure agreement” and that CHI “were reluctant to make any disclosure in relation to either the fact or the content of that settlement.” The PAC agreed to request further information from CHI regarding the matter. Hardiman’s 2023 annual remuneration was reported as €183,866 [4].
Climate Change and Flood Risk Management
Alongside the CHI discussions, Met Éireann, Ireland’s national weather forecasting service, presented findings to the PAC regarding the impact of climate change. The service emphasized that climate change “is a present-day reality” and is already altering weather patterns and intensifying extreme events [1].
The Office of Public Works (OPW) also addressed the committee, stating that even as addressing current flood risks is critical, Ireland must also prepare for increased flooding due to climate change. OPW chairman John Conlon indicated that climate change is projected to significantly impact flooding in Ireland due to rising sea levels, increased winter rainfall, more frequent heavy rain events, and more intense storms. He noted that recent studies confirm climate change has already affected flood events.
Conlon stated that the Government has committed €1.3 billion to flood relief under the National Development Plan up to 2030, with the OPW having already invested €580 million in 56 completed flood-relief schemes, protecting 13,580 properties and providing an estimated €2 billion in economic benefits. Currently, approximately 100 schemes are in the design, planning, or construction phases, a threefold increase since 2018.
Global Climate Trends
Met Éireann reported that 2025 was the third warmest year on record globally, following 2024 and 2023, with average temperatures approximately 1.4 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The year was characterized by exceptional ocean heat, continued sea-level rise, and a persistent warming trend, alongside widespread extreme rainfall, record temperatures, intensified storms, and wildfires.
In Ireland, 2025 was the second warmest year on record, and the period from 2022 to 2025 represents the warmest four-year period in the national record, dating back to 1900. Seven of Ireland’s warmest years have occurred since 2005. The past year also demonstrated increasing climate variability, beginning with significant snowfall, followed by Storm Éowyn (which brought the strongest winds ever recorded in Ireland), the warmest summer on record, and the fourth wettest autumn. January rainfall reached 123% of the long-term national average, and Dublin Airport recorded its wettest February on record, at 255% of its long-term average.