Philip Nolan Termination Settlement: €200,000 Payout
- Former Director General of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), prof.Philip Nolan, received a payout of €200,000 - plus an additional €275,000 for his legal costs - as part of...
- Nolan gained national prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic as a member of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), providing key modeling and data analysis to inform public...
- The financial statements reveal a critically important financial burden for SFI related to Prof.
The Settlement with Prof. Philip Nolan
Former Director General of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), prof.Philip Nolan, received a payout of €200,000 – plus an additional €275,000 for his legal costs – as part of the settlement of his legal action concerning the termination of his SFI contract in May 2024. This facts is detailed in SFI’s financial statements for 2024.
Prof. Nolan gained national prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic as a member of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), providing key modeling and data analysis to inform public health policy.
Breakdown of SFI’s Costs
The financial statements reveal a critically important financial burden for SFI related to Prof. Nolan’s departure. SFI’s own legal bill totaled €367,000. An additional €59,000 was paid to Maynooth University to cover a three-month contractual notice period. This brings SFI’s total expenditure to €901,000 before accounting for insurance reimbursements.
| Cost Category | Amount (€) |
|---|---|
| Severance Payment to Prof. Nolan | 200,000 |
| Prof. Nolan’s Legal Costs | 275,000 |
| SFI’s Legal Costs | 367,000 |
| Maynooth University (Notice Period) | 59,000 |
| Total Cost (Before Insurance) | 901,000 |
Insurance reimbursements
SFI received partial reimbursement from its insurer, AIG, under its Employment practices Insurance Policy. AIG contributed €200,000 towards the severance payments and €292,000 towards SFI’s legal costs.This reduced the net cost to SFI.
Comptroller and Auditor general’s Report
The payouts attracted the attention of the Comptroller and Auditor General, Seamus McCarthy. In his report accompanying the financial statements, Mr. mccarthy stated that “the net cost to Science Foundation Ireland arising from the termination of the former Director General’s employment was €409,000.”
Mr. McCarthy specifically noted that the severance agreement included a settlement payment of €200,000 and the coverage of Prof. Nolan’s legal costs amounting to €275,000.
Prof. Nolan’s employment with SFI officially ceased on May 27th, 2024.