Treoir Council Members – Elected at the May 2022 AGM

Dr. Evelyn Mahon: *Chairperson of the Board*

Dr Evelyn Mahon retired as an Associate Professor of Sociology in the School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin. She lectured extensively on the sociology of families, welfare policies and socio-legal topics. Her early academic publications focused on the women’s movement and equal opportunities for mothers at work. Later as an active field worker she conducted several Irish state funded research projects: the “Women and Crisis Pregnancy” study on pregnancy on lone mothers and abortion (1998) and Post Separation Parenting (2011), a study of separation and divorce agreements made in Irish Family Law Courts.

She is the Irish partner in the EU Framework 7 research project, called FLOWS-EU, which examined the impact of local welfare systems on women’s participation in the labour force. (2010-2014). She remains a Fellow Emerita of the School of Social Work and Social Policy.

During the 1970s she was an active founding member of AIM Family Services in Galway.

Passions: She has a keen interest in international films and as chairperson of the Galway Film Society played an active role in developing the Federation of Irish Film Societies serving as its Chairperson for three years.

Council Role: Audit and Finance Subcommittee

Louise Bayliss: SPARK

Louise Bayliss holds an MSc in Equality Studies. She is the campaign coordinator with Focus Ireland, co-founder and spokesperson of S.P.A.R.K. and special appointee to the social justice committee of the Society of St. Vincent De Paul on lone parent issues.

Passions: Louise is interested in children’s rights, poverty among lone parent households and housing.

Council Role: Chair of the Policy subcommittee.

Adele O’Connor: Doras Buí

Adele O’Connor is currently the programme coordinator in Doras Buí CLG. A board member of Coolock Development Council. She is working with marginalized members of society including Lone Parents, Young People, New Communities, and Travellers. Adele has delivered training including Sexual Health Awareness, FETAC Personal and Interpersonal Skills, Computer Skills and Meditation and Stress Management. Adele has several qualifications her most recent university qualification was completed at Dublin City University in 2015, gaining a Graduate Certificate in Social Enterprise and Innovation. She has a Bachelor’s and Masters’s degrees in Applied Social Studies, a Diploma in Community & Youth Work, all achieved at NUI Maynooth. She has a certificate in ‘Personal Development & Self Caring practices’ from the Irish College of Humanities & Applied Science.

Passions: She has a keen interest in improving her community, and enjoys working with young people while also being involved in the community garden, this included cross-border training with other communities. She has an inherently entrepreneurial spirit and has been involved in family businesses as well as establishing her own business importing and exporting goods internationally. Adele was the Master of Ceremonies at several celebrations of Doras Buí. She is currently a board member of St Paul’s youth club; she is also part of the North Dublin Trialogue core group.

Council Role: Treasurer of Treoir Council and part of the Policy Subcommittee. Part of a collation of organisations currently working on the research proposal, to enhance the lived experience of lone-parent families in Ireland.

Caitríona Nic Mhuiris: Kinship Care 

Caitríona is a parent of two and kinship Carer to her 4 orphaned nieces. As a kinship carer, she has insight into the challenges many kinship families face. She is dedicated to advocating for increased support so no kinship family should have to care for vulnerable children alone.With skills and experience in community development, family support, and child bereavement she is keen to develop trauma-informed approaches to supporting kinship families. Through a supportive partnership with Treoir and the kinship steering group, she focused on developing a clear vision for kinship care and has taken concrete steps towards realising it.

Passions: Caitríona is committed to ensuring that the invisible nature of kinship care is made visible and the quality of life of kinship families is improved

Council Role: Council member

Bernard Joyce: Irish Traveller Movement

Bernard Joyce has been the Director of the Irish Traveller Movement since 2016 and a Traveller rights activist for over 30 years in various roles locally and nationally and brings a wealth of knowledge and insight. He is a graduate of the National University of Ireland Maynooth in Social Science, Youth and Community Development. He represents ITM on many oversight and advisory groups involving Traveller rights in Ireland, he is a representative member of the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, the Expert Review Programme Board, and the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy and Civil Legal Aid review that is currently underway.

Council Role: HR Sub-committee.

Norma Fitzgerald

Norma is currently the senior service manager with Anew. Norma has a wealth of knowledge and experience having worked extensively with women, teenage girls, and babies throughout her working career.

Norma initially trained as a children’s Nurse in Temple St but soon moved to social care, working with Teenage Girls in Lefroy House on Eden Quay.

She then moved to Oberstown Girls School where she remained for over 20 years. Her career in Oberstown had many twists and turns where she eventually became a manager for 10 years. The highlight of her career in Oberstown was opening the Stepdown and Outreach Service for the Girls School better known as Lilac House.

This programme offered wraparound support for the girls leaving the detention center. Norma played a huge role in teaching the young girls life skills, sourcing education or employment, and linking them with all the support available to them within their community.

Norma was involved in the training of staff in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention and the initial implementation of this program within Oberstown Girls School. She also ran a successful Teenage Health Programme.

Norma has always been an advocate for young girls and women, having worked with vulnerable teenage Girls and their families for many years. During the course of this work, it

became evident that many mothers needed different supports at various times to give them the tools, knowledge, and confidence to grow and become the best mother they can be. This led Norma into the field of pregnancy, motherhood, and homelessness.

Norma joined Anew as a Social care worker in 2017 working closely with the women in CBC (Cherry Blossom Cottage). A cottage housing pregnant women experiencing homelessness. Norma became Team leader in 2018 and moved into the role of Manager in 2023 where she currently leads a busy team in developing the service.

The team are currently developing the Anew programme. The aim of this program is to support and educate as many women experiencing homelessness in relation to Pregnancy care and motherhood. Norma has spearheaded the development of the Peer Support programme, Nurture programme, LifeSkills and Women’s empowerment programme. These programs have served to be invaluable to the women accessing the service.

Passions: Norma is passionate about working with and supporting vulnerable women in particular new mothers. Norma believes if you support, educate, and empower a woman you empower a family.

Council Role: Chair of the HR Subcommittee and part of the communications subcommittee. 

Tanya Franciosa: The Coombe Hospital

Tanya Franciosa is the Principal Medical Social Worker at The Coombe Hospital, where she has worked since 2009. For the first 10 years, she specialised in the area of addiction in pregnancy, before moving into a Principal role in 2019. Tanya has a Bachelor’s in Social Studies with TCD and an MSc in Leadership with RCSI. She is also involved with the national Head Medical Social Workers Forum.

Passion: Tanya is passionate about the role Medical Social Workers play in supporting and advocating for women and their families during pregnancy and in the immediate postnatal period, particularly in relation to the inequalities faced by one-parent families.

Council Role: Communications subcommittee.

Mary O’Connor 

Mary O’Connor is currently Senior Project Leader, Business Support, and Company Secretary in the charity sector.  In her role, she provides support to the Board, CEO, and Management Team in matters of compliance.  In 2022 Mary completed a Certificate in Charity Law, Trusteeship, and Governance with the Law Society of Ireland and also holds an MSc in Equality Studies (first class honours) from University College Dublin and a Graduate Diploma in Business Studies.

Passion: Mary has a keen interest in social equality and enjoys working in the Community and Voluntary Sector where values of equality, diversity, and inclusion are promoted and fostered.

Council Role: Company Secretary and Finance and Audit Subcommittee.

Dr Brian Tobin:

Dr Brian Tobin is the Deputy Head of the School of Law and a Lecturer in Law at NUI Galway, and I hold LL.B, LL.M and PhD degrees from Trinity College Dublin. he has contributed to policy development in the U.K., Ireland and internationally. He is a regular media contributor and often writes opinion pieces on Child and Family law matters for the Irish Examiner. He recently co-authored a Review of the Law on Guardianship in the context of Children born outside of Marriage or Civil Partnership for the Department of Justice.

Passions: His primary research interests are in the areas of Child and Family Law, with a particular focus on the legal recognition of contemporary family forms and the position of children born via assisted human reproduction, including surrogacy. His  book, ‘The Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Relationships: Emerging Families in Ireland and Beyond’ will be published in 2022.

Rosemary Grant

Rosemary trained as a social worker at Trinity College, Dublin. Having been a student in the Rotunda Hospital during my training, all of her work experience has been in the area of medical social work in maternity, neonatal and gynaecology settings. She worked for two years in the maternity unit of St James Hospital and in the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital until her retirement in 2019.

Lorraine Barry:  Ringsend & Irishtown Family Resource Centre

Lorraine Barry is a results-oriented manager within the private/public sector and has a proven track record of demonstrating excellent leadership by managing, motivating and influencing a diverse number of teams within the changing landscapes of these organisations over the last thirty years. Since 2006 she has been the manager of Ringsend & Irishtown Community Centre she has managed a large number of diverse people in the Community Sector. She has gained invaluable experience, especially her financial management skills, and has built up very positive relationships with the Government and statutory agencies. She has a brilliant knowledge of the services on the ground.

Passions: She has developed a real interest in the challenges facing the Government going forward and need for positive reform.

Council Role: Chair of the Finance and Audit subcommittee.