We would like to introduce you to the Board members who help guide the work of Children in Hospital Ireland. All Board members volunteer their time and skills free of charge.

Jacinta Hastings
Chairperson

Jacinta Hastings was appointed Chair of CIH in 2025, bringing with her extensive leadership experience in the statutory and voluntary sectors. She recently retired as CEO of Bodywhys, the national voluntary organisaton supporting people affected by eating disorders in Ireland, where she led the organisation through a period of significant growth and development.

Prior to that, Jacinta held a senior management position with Mental Health Ireland, further deepening her expertise in mental health advocacy, service development, and community engagement. Her professional background includes strong competencies in governance, strategic planning, compliance, change and organisational management.

Jacinta has served on the board of Mental Health Reform and is currently Treasurer and a board member of GAMIAN-Europe, a Brussels-based European NGO focused on mental health advocacy and patient involvement. She is also an active member of Soroptimist International Bray & District, part of a global volunteer movement working to improve the lives of women and girls.

She brings to CIH a deep commitment to social impact, collaboration, and community wellbeing.

Dr. Sinead Hurley
Vice Chairperson

Dr. Sinéad Hurley is an Epidemiologist at the Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control team within the Health Service Executive. Sinéad completed her PhD in Infection Medicine Healthcare at Lund University, Sweden. Sinéad has a Masters degree in Public Health from University College Cork and a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professionals Education from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Sinéad has vast experience as a lecturer in public health and epidemiology, as a researcher in infection medicine and as an epidemiologist working on national and international projects in data analytics and data systems. She is passionate about protecting and improving population health and building robust healthcare systems. Sinéad joined the board of Children in Hospital Ireland in 2025.

Pascale Claes
Treasurer of CIH & Board member

Pascale has had a varied career, working in industry and in the Irish public health sector. She has experience of finances and materials management in private companies, of public procurement for Irish Hospitals, and of management at corporate level in the HSE. She has also served for 8 years on the Board of Management of the management company for the development where she lives. On a personal side she has experienced the hospitalisations of a grandchild, which prompted her to join CIH once retired, as a Child and Family Support Volunteer in both Crumlin and Temple Street.

Katie Hill
Board member

Dr. Katie Hill is an Assistant Professor in Children’s Nursing in UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Sciences. Katie completed her PhD in 2023. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in General and Children’s Nursing, a Masters degree in Child Health and Wellbeing, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Education. Katie has a clinical background in the areas of children’s palliative care and children with complex care needs and their families; working in Ireland and in China. Katie joined the Board of Children in Hospital Ireland in 2022, and is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing organisation at a very exciting time in children’s healthcare in Ireland.

Jennifer Carey
Secretary & Board member

Jennifer Carey is the General Manager for St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network. She previously trained as a Registered General and Children’s Nurse . During her time working in Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) she came across our CIH volunteers and recognised the importance of the work that they carry out .  This is why she decided to join the board of CIH. Her special interests are governance and HR.

Tracey Heffernan
Board member

Tracey Heffernan started with CIH Ireland as a volunteer back in 2006 and after a year had to give it up. She rejoined as a play volunteer in 2016 and was elected to the board in 2022. Tracey is a founding member of the Dublin 7 Women’s Shed and an active committee member.

Sonam Prakashini Banka-Cullen
Board member

Dr. Sonam Prakashini Banka-Cullen is a psychologist and data analyst with over 10 years of research experience working with vulnerable populations, including children in refuge, domestic abuse survivors, and people who use substances. Her expertise includes child mental and physical health, public health, health psychology, and mixed methods research, with a strong focus on quantitative analysis and intervention evaluation. She earned her PhD in 2018 by evaluating the WHO’s Healthy Schools Programme across six DEIS primary schools, engaging 600 children. Currently, Sonam serves as a Research Fellow and Research Project Manager at Trinity College Dublin.

Karina McArdle
Board member

Karina McArdle joined the Board in 2024. She is Head of Regulatory and Business Services with the Central Bank of Ireland and has significant experience in establishing and running business services and in IT, operations, data and risk management. She has a keen interest in children’s health services and advocating for child support services having spent considerable time in hospital and other health services with her younger daughter.

Jeremy Preddy
Board member

Guillaume Rouy
Board member

Guillaume has been a volunteer with CIH for many years. He has volunteered in Wexford hospital and is currently a volunteer in Temple St and also the NRH. He works as a customer representative in Cardinal Health. Guillaume would like to contribute to ensuring that the different work areas of CIH, work well together to provide an efficient service.  He brings an insight from the volunteer perspective into the discussions on moving into the new children’s hospital in 2026

Meet the Team of Children in Hospital Ireland who are dedicated to supporting our volunteers, children and families every day!