National Immunisation Advisory Committee

The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) is Ireland’s National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NITAG). NIAC provides independent evidence-based recommendations and advice to the Minister for Health on immunisation (such as vaccines) and related health matters. This helps to inform health policy in Ireland.

NIAC also develops guidelines that provide up-to-date and accurate information about vaccines and immunisation for healthcare professionals.

NIAC was set up in 1998 and has been hosted by HIQA since 31 March 2025. The NIAC Secretariat team in HIQA provides clinical, evidence synthesis and administrative support to NIAC.

NIAC Members and Roles

NIAC is made up of a Chair, Deputy Chair, and members. Membership is voluntary and includes people with broad expertise in areas including but not limited to immunisation, public health, and infectious diseases, in addition to lay membership.

Learn more about appointments and durations of membership by downloading NIAC’s Terms of Reference and Standard Operating Procedures (PDF).

Members are listed below.

Voting members Nominating Organisation	Nominee
Chair	Dr Edina Moylett, Consultant Paediatrician
Deputy Chair/ Institute of Medicine, RCPI	Professor Corinna Sadlier, Consultant in Infectious Diseases
Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI)	Dr Bridget Freyne, Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases
Faculty of Occupational Medicine, RCPI	Dr Sujil Jacob, Specialist Occupational Health Physician
Faculty of Paediatrics, RCPI	Dr Juliette Lucey, Consultant Paediatrician
Faculty of Pathology, RCPI	Dr Sinéad O’Donnell, Consultant Microbiologist Alternate: Dr Patrick Stapleton, Consultant Microbiologist
Faculty of Public Health Medicine, RCPI	Dr Mary Ward, Consultant in Public Health Medicine
Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, RCPI	Dr Cliona Murphy, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
National Health Protection Office (Vaccine preventable diseases)	Dr Lois O’Connor, Consultant in Public Health Medicine (Health Protection)
Infectious Diseases Society of Ireland (IDSI)	Dr Ruth O'Riordan, Consultant in Infectious Diseases Alternate: Dr Cathal O’Broin, Consultant in Infectious Diseases and General Internal Medicine
Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP)	Dr Patrick Kelly, General Practitioner Alternate: Dr Scott Walkin, General Practitioner
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland	Dr Karn Cliffe, Director of Nursing & Midwifery - Research, Practice Standards, Quality
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)	Professor Brian Cleary, Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
Travel Medicine Society of Ireland	Dr Astrid Weidenhammer, Travel Health Clinic
National Virus Reference Laboratory (NVRL)	Dr Cillian De Gascun, Consultant Medical Virologist, Director NVRL
Gerontology expertise	Dr Aoife Fallon, Consultant in Geriatric and General Internal Medicine
Inclusion health expertise	Dr Ashwin Delmonte Sen, Consultant in Infectious Disease, Inclusion Health and General Internal Medicine
Lay public member	Professor Alan Baird, UCD Full Professor of Veterinary Physiology and Biology

Non-Voting Members
Additional Membership
Department of Health	Professor Ellen Crushell, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Alternate: Dr Clara McGurk, Assistant to Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Specialist Registrar in Geriatric Medicine
Health Service Executive	Dr Áine McNamara, Area Director of Public Health, HSE West and North West
Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA)	Dr Ronan Donelan, Policy and Stakeholder Lead
National Immunisation Office (NIO)	Dr Lucy Jessop, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Director of the NIO Alternate: Dr Chantal Migone, Consultant Public Health Medicine (Health Protection)
Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC)	Dr Lisa Domegan, Principal Epidemiologist Alternate: Dr Michael Carton, Principal Epidemiologist

Medical Secretary	Dr Ellen Walsh (Infectious diseases)

Trainee Review Group	Dr Jennifer Cox (Paediatrics) Dr Irene Gorman (Public Health Medicine) Dr Muireann de Paor (Public Health Medicine) Dr Áine Varley (Public Health Medicine) Dr Laura Mannion (Paediatrics)

NIAC Secretariat:
Clinical Lead:	Dr Sarah Geoghegan
Special Advisor:	Dr Fiona Cullinane
Special Advisor:	Dr Karen McCarthy
Special Advisor:	Dr Bryony Treston
Special Advisor:	Dr Ruth Ceannt
Clinical Pharmacist	Ms Margaret Donnelly
Senior Health Technology Assessment Analyst:	Dr Gillian Walsh
Senior Health Technology Assessment Analyst:	Dr Valerie Power
Senior Programme Manager:	Dr Melissa Jones
Programme Coordinator:	Ms Trish Clarke

NIAC Working Groups:

Where a specific topic requires additional expertise or focused attention beyond the usual scope of Committee meetings, a Working Group may be established by the NIAC Chair. Working Groups are responsible for collecting, analysing, and preparing information for presentation to the Committee to support informed deliberations and decision-making, as determined by the NIAC Chair.

Download a list of NIAC working groups (PDF).

NIAC Terms of Reference

The terms of reference of NIAC are to:

provide independent expert evidence-based recommendations and advice to the Minister for Health on immunisation and related health matters in the Irish context
develop, update and disseminate the Immunisation Guidelines for Ireland
respond to queries from healthcare professionals and the Department of Health on matters related to immunisation
undertake horizon scanning and monitor global developments in the field of immunisation for the prevention of infection and or disease
advocate for best immunisation practices in Ireland.

Download NIAC’s Terms of Reference and Standard Operating Procedures (PDF) to learn more about governance, responsibilities and operations.

We meet regularly to discuss the latest evidence

NIAC meets at least every two months to discuss the latest evidence and issues in immunisation. More frequent meetings take place as required. Summaries of meetings that took place prior to 31 March 2025 are available on request. Email Info@hiqa.ie if you would like copies of these.

Since 31 March 2025, NIAC has been hosted by HIQA as a statutory function under Section 8(1)(g) of the Health Act 2007 (as amended).

NIAC is not a policy maker and has no regulatory function.

Links to external resources

The National Immunisation Office provides trusted, up-to-date information about HSE immunisation programmes for children, adults and healthcare professionals in Ireland.
Visit the National Immunisation Office website (external link).
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) provides useful information on vaccines and immunisation.
Visit the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control website (external link).
The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information and resources on vaccines and immunisation.
Visit the World Health Organization website (external link).

Who we are

What we do

Meetings

Statutory basis

General Resources