Governance of State Bodies

21 October 2025 | 9:00am - 4:30pm

Event Booked Out
6 hours CPD
€465-€540

State Body Governance

21 October 2025 9:00am - 4:30pm

Booked out

Please note this workshop is now booked out. However, if you wish to be added to a cancellation list, we will try our best to get you a place.

Reach out to Gillian, our Learning and Education Manager to be added to our cancellation list or if you would like more information about our upcoming workshops by emailing [email protected] or calling +353 1 411 0010.

Overview

Join governance expert Jim Breslin for this for full-day workshop tailored for directors and senior leaders within State Bodies. Delve into the State Bodies Code of Practice, explore the responsibilities of directors and senior management, and enhance your oversight and cultural leadership.

Whether you're already serving on a board or preparing to join one, this workshop will empower you to apply best practice governance principles, evaluate frameworks, and tackle real-world challenges with confidence.

This workshop is designed specifically for:

The boards of Public Sector Bodies/Commercial and Semi State organisations/State Agencies
Member of a State Board or soon to be joining a State Board
Board members of State Bodies
Members of the Senior Leadership Team within State Bodies
Those charged with overseeing the governance of State Bodies

Why should I book this Workshop?

On completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Recognise the unique governance framework within which Boards of State Bodies operate, including legal, structural, regulatory and accountability dimensions and the associated challenges.
Understand the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, and the core tenets of corporate governance, and apply them to real-world public governance scenarios.
Evaluate and implement effective practices to oversee systems of internal governance and successfully relate to the external public sector governance environment including relevant Minister, parent Department and Oireachtas.
Improve your existing or potential personal contribution to a State Board; considering the range, fit, responsibilities, expectations and ethical dimensions of such roles.

The workshop will cover the following:

Unique characteristics of State Bodies and the implications for corporate governance
Role and responsibilities of the Board
Role and responsibilities of the Board Chair
Role of management versus role of the Board
Operation of Board Committees
Core tenets of best practice State Body governance and their application in practice
Relations with the Oireachtas, Minister and parent department
Setting the board up for success

Jim Breslin Chair, Non-Executive Director and former Secretary General

Jim Breslin advises leaders, boards and governments on strategic decision-making, innovation and governance to accelerate their business transitions. He holds a range of directorships and advisory roles across the private, not for profit and public sectors including as Chair of Renewable Energy Ireland (a partnership between Ireland’s leading sustainable energy associations) and as a Board member of the Expert Oversight Body of the Defence Forces, St.Vincent’s Healthcare Group, Ashdale Care and others. He was recently appointed by Government to Chair the Local Democracy Task Force. He enjoyed a 30-year career in the Irish senior public service including as Secretary General of three different Government Departments. His qualifications include a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, an MSc (Econ) from Trinity College, a Certificate in Business and Climate Change from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cambridge and a Diploma and Certificate in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors. He held a Policy Leader Fellowship at the Centre for Science and Policy, University of Cambridge.

Is this eligible for CPD?

Dimension covered: Governance Framework

Eligible hours: 6 hours of Chartered Director CPD

This session may be eligible for other professional body CPD.Check with your relevant professional body.

Workshop participants will receive a Certificate of Attendance on completion of the session.

To fully embrace participants’ experience and to encourage the sharing of this experience and knowledge by and with other participants, Dr Margaret Cullen will lead dynamic, interactive sessions, drawing on her own and participants’ experiences. She will integrate practical examples into the workshop and support participants in identifying key take-aways / action points.

What is the cost?

IoD members - €465

Non-members - €540

Cancellation and refund policy

Places are confirmed upon full payment. Cancellations with a full refund are accepted in writing to [email protected] until Tuesday, 14th October 2025. After this date, no refunds are possible, and all fees are forfeited for cancellations or non-attendance. Recordings will not be available as part of post-session materials.

Group bookings

Contact the IoD Ireland Learning and Education team on [email protected] or phone +353 1 411 0010.

Want to connect with fellow workshop participants?

All workshop attendees will receive a list of all other workshop participants in advance of the session. This will include name, job title and organisation. If you have any queries around this please contact the Learning and Education Team.

For GDPR reasons, we cannot provide contact details on the attendee list.

Questions?

For any IoD Ireland Learning and Education Programme queries, email [email protected] or call +3531 411 0010.

Workshop material is prepared by IoD trainers and produced by the IoD wholly and exclusively for use by workshop participants. Workshop materials may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without permission in writing from IoD Ireland.