The former director general of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) has received a payout of €475,000 as part of a settlement over the termination of his contract amid bullying claims last year, writes Gordon Deegan.
The payout to Prof. Philip Nolan – who became a household name during the pandemic when he was a member of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) – is revealed in SFI’s financial statements for 2024.
The payout includes €275,000 for his legal costs.
The documents show SFI’s legal bill from Prof. Nolan’s severance totalled €367,000 with a €59,000 payout concerning a three month contractual notice period.
It brings SFI’s bill to €901,000 before insurance payouts from AIG are taken into account.
The report reveals SFI received contributions from AIG of €200,000 towards the severance payments and €292,000 in respect of its own legal costs.
The payouts drew the attention of the Comptroller and Auditor General, Séamus McCarthy.
In his report accompanying the financial statements, he stated: “The net cost to SFI arising from the termination of the former director general’s employment was €409,000.”
On the payout to Prof Nolan, Mr McCarthy said: “Science Foundation Ireland reached a severance agreement with the former director general which provided for a settlement payment of €200,000 and payment of €275,000 for his legal costs”.
Mr McCarthy further states that Prof Nolan’s employment at SFI ceased on May 27, 2024.
Mr McCarthy states that pursuant to a three-month contractual notice period in the secondment agreement, Maynooth University was paid €59,000 in respect of the former director general’s remuneration from May 27, 2024, to August 31, 2024.
Prof. Nolan took up the prestigious post at SFI in January 2022 on secondment from Maynooth and the annual basic salary for the post in 2022 was €222,000.
Earlier this year, it emerged that Prof. Nolan has returned to Maynooth where he is doing research on sleep apnoea.
In a statement read out at the Court of Appeal in December 2024 settling Prof. Nolan’s legal action, SFI has said its termination of his contract was “never intended to imply any finding of wrongdoing on his part”.
In the statement read in the Court of Appeal, the State funded research agency said the litigation with its former chief has been “damaging to the reputations of all parties” and it is pleased they have agreed to bring the case to a conclusion.
Prof. Nolan sued the foundation in May 2024 seeking to prevent his dismissal.
The High Court granted him a short injunction halting his dismissal from his job for five weeks while various court applications were pending.
The same judge, Judge Rory Mulcahy, in June refused to substantially extend the injunction.
Counsel for SFI, now called Taighde Éireann/Research Ireland, Mark Connaughton told the Court of Appeal in December 2024 his client regrets the “unauthorised and harmful publication (from unknown sources) of incomplete internal reports”.
This is related to an SFI inquiry into claims made against Prof. Nolan by five senior staff members in December 2023.
He strongly disputed the allegations.
“We confirm that there were no findings of misconduct or poor performance made against Prof. Nolan and the termination of his contract was never intended to imply any finding of wrongdoing on his part,” the statement continued.
The “significant reputational damage” to him and the foundation flowing from the unauthorised publication of internal reports is “acknowledged”, it read.
In an interview with the Irish Times in February this year, Prof. Nolan said: “The events of last year have allowed me to return to the very stimulating work of fundamental research.”
Prof. Nolan also said Maynooth University had been extraordinarily supportive to him.
