[4] O'Hare has chaired the Conference of Heads of Irish Universities[7] and the national coordinating body for distance education of adults, an area in which DCU specialised.
In 1996, he was appointed by the government as the founding chairperson of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland,[7] overseeing staffing, establishment of its legislative basis and mission definition.
After his time at DCU, O'Hare also chaired the governing body of the Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy[4] and the Dublin Airport Stakeholders Forum.
[4] He also sat on the boards of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, the Daughters of Charity, Digitary, Music Generation, Media Lab Europe, and Calor Gas.
[4] O'Hare promoted, and is chair of the board of, the interactive National Children's Science Centre project, also known as Exploration Station,[10][4] which planned to open its new educational facility in 2020.