The High Court has confirmed the cancellation of psychiatric nurse Ronan Martin Burke's registration following a Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland fitness-to-practise process.
Mr Justice David Barniville, President of the High Court, held that there was no good reason to refuse confirmation of the Board's June 2025 decision. Burke had not appealed that decision within the statutory period but opposed the Board's subsequent confirmation application.
The proceedings arose from a complaint made by a healthcare company which briefly employed Burke as a clinical lead in November 2019. A Fitness to Practise Committee later found seven factual allegations concerning his conduct and communications proved beyond reasonable doubt.
The Committee separately considered expert psychiatric evidence and found beyond reasonable doubt that Burke had a relevant medical disability under the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011. It accepted evidence that he suffered from a paranoid persecutory psychosis or personality disorder and concluded that the condition remained in existence.
Significantly, the Committee did not find professional misconduct or breach of the professional code. It concluded that Burke's medical disability constituted a complete defence to those allegations in relation to the relevant conduct.
The Committee nevertheless recommended cancellation of his registration. It cited concerns including impaired judgment, lack of treatment and what it regarded as insufficient insight into his condition. It acknowledged that no incident involving patient safety had arisen, but said it had no confidence that Burke could practise safely.
The Board adopted that reasoning and decided on June 11, 2025 to cancel his registration. Burke later criticised the psychiatric evidence, the procedures used and the duration of the process, while disputing that he suffered from a relevant medical disability.
The High Court stressed that a confirmation application is not a full appeal. It found no procedural impropriety or breach of natural or constitutional justice and held that cancellation was an appropriate and proportionate sanction.
The court therefore confirmed the Board's decision to cancel Burke's registration.