Frank Dolphin

Frank Dolphin
Dolphin in 2024
BornJanuary 1959 (age 67)
Birr, County Offaly, Ireland
Alma materUniversity College Dublin
Occupations
  • Psychologist
  • businessman
Known for
SpouseAdrienne Dolphin
Children5[1]

Frank Dolphin[1][2] (born January 1959) is an Irish psychologist and businessman known for his involvement with the Irish Health Service,[3][4] as a former chairman of Temple Street Children's University Hospital[5], Governor of the Mater Hospital, and as a past president of the Waterford Chamber of Commerce.[3] He co-founded RigneyDolphin Ltd.[2][3] and RelateCare.[6]

Education

Dolphin was born in Birr, County Offaly and attended Presentation College in Birr. He subsequently attended University College Dublin, where he obtained a PhD in psychology.[7] His early research[8] on information models in speech fluency was recognised by the British Psychological Society when he was awarded their Young Psychologist of the year award[1] for his post graduate research.

He lectured at Trinity College Dublin (covering the topics of Psychology and Consumer Behaviour) while working on his PhD at Temple Street.[1] After obtaining his PhD he moved to Waterford and set up the department of Psychology at the Waterford Institute of Technology (then Regional Technical College) and was responsible for introducing counselling and medical services there.[1] He also worked as a consulting psychologist for St Joseph's Industrial School, Clonmel.[3]

Dolphin has served on the board of Governors of the Waterford Institute of Technology.

Business career

RigneyDolphin Ltd.

In 1990, Dolphin left the WIT and founded RigneyDolphin Ltd. He remains chairman of the firm. The firm initially offered a range of recruitment, HR and consultancy services but in recent years have focused on business support services[3] catering to national and international clients.[1][9][10][11][12]

In 2010 RigneyDolphin employed 1,200 staff at offices in Dublin, Dundalk, Derry and Waterford[13] with an annual turnover of €20.2 million.[12]

RelateCare

In 2013, Dolphin co-founded RelateCare with his wife Adrienne and Conor O'Byrne.[6][14] RelateCare provides healthcare outsourcing and consultancy services, including appointment scheduling and post-discharge follow-up calls for hospital groups in the United States.[6][14] The company also provides a nurse-on-call service staffed by US-registered nurses based in Cleveland and Waterford.[6][14] In Ireland, RelateCare has worked with the Health Service Executive on smoking-cessation support services.[6][14]

According to MML Capital Partners, RelateCare began as a joint venture between Cleveland Clinic and RigneyDolphin, and in October 2019 it agreed an investment deal with MML Ireland, which became the largest single equity holder.[15]

Health Service

In 2009 Dolphin was appointed chairman of Temple Street Children's University Hospital.[5][16]

In July 2010 the Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney announced that Dolphin would assume the role of Chairman of the Health Service Executive with effect from 15 August 2010.[3][4] Dolphin stepped down from this role in December 2011.[17]

In March 2012 Dolphin was chosen to lead the review group for the construction of the National Children's Hospital Ireland, following the refusal by An Bord Pleanála to give planning permission for the proposed Children's Hospital of Ireland at a site on Eccles Street.[17] Enda Kenny stated that the report this group put forward (the "Dolphin Report") would be the only one used to decide on the location of the proposed hospital.[18] The Dolphin Report did not rank locations, but left the final decision to the cabinet; in the end, St. James's Hospital was chosen as the site for the new children's hospital, with a €500m budget being allocated to the project.[19]

Chamber of Commerce

Dolphin was President of the Waterford Chamber of Commerce in 2005-2006. While President, he presented a paper to the World Chambers Federation's 4th World Chamber Congress in Durban on "Training Solutions", Waterford Chamber's training and development business, in conjunction with Training Solutions founder and Deputy CEO of Waterford Chamber Michael Cox.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Donegan, Michael (2006). "Rigney-Dolphin and the Birr Connection". Birr Year Review. Birr. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Frank DOLPHIN – personal appointments". Companies House. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Minister announces appointment of Dr Frank Dolphin as next Chairman of Health Service Executive" (Press release). Department of Health and Children. 28 July 2010. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  4. ^ a b Michael, Jason (28 July 2010). "New HSE chairman announced". The Irish Times. Dublin. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  5. ^ a b "New chairman appointed to Temple Street board". Evening Herald. Dublin. 12 April 2009. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  6. ^ a b c d e Gallagher, Sean (2018). Secrets to Success: Inspiring Stories from Leading Entrepreneurs. Mercier Press. ISBN 978-1-78117-525-5.
  7. ^ Dolphin, Frank (1988). Psychological indicators for therapy with the young confirmed stutterer (PhD thesis). University College Dublin. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  8. ^ Dolphin, Frank (1983). Stuttering: a complex of conflicts (M.A. thesis). University College Dublin. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  9. ^ "Rigney Dolphin Secures Major Vodafone Contract" (Press release). Vodafone Ireland. 19 January 2004. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  10. ^ McLoughlin, Grainne (25 January 2004). "Rigney Dolphin in €25m Vodafone deal". Sunday Business Post. Dublin. Archived from the original on 13 May 2005. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  11. ^ "Waterford company in €4m Perlico deal". Sunday Business Post. Dublin. 3 June 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  12. ^ a b "Rigney Dolphin €5m centre to aid expansion". Sunday Business Post. Dublin. 14 October 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  13. ^ "Call centre to bring 300 jobs to Londonderry". London: BBC. 15 December 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  14. ^ a b c d Gallagher, Sean (27 February 2016). "Remembering that lightbulb moment". Irish Independent. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  15. ^ "MML Ireland partners with RelateCare". MML Capital Ireland. October 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  16. ^ Culliton, Gary (20 April 2009). "New chairman for Temple Street". Irish Medical Times. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  17. ^ a b "Announcement of the composition of the Review Group into the National Paediatric Hospital" (Press release). Department of Health and Children. 16 March 2012. Archived from the original on 3 December 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
  18. ^ "Children's hospital decision by three weeks, says Kenny". The Irish Times. Dublin. 23 October 2012. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
  19. ^ Wall, Martin; Doyle, Kilian (6 November 2012). "National children's hospital to be built on St James's site". The Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
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