From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, T.D., has today (23 July) announced the membership of the dedicated Programme Board to oversee the implementation of A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a new International Protection Support Service.
Establishing the Programme Board is a key milestone in delivering on the White Paper. The Board will contribute to the development of implementation plans and will determine and review programme indicators and targets on an ongoing basis. This will include monitoring progress on the reduction in processing times according to the action plan being implemented by the Department of Justice in this regard. It will report periodically to the Minister.
Chaired by Dr Fergal Lynch, Secretary General of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Board members include representatives with lived experience of international protection, NGOs, the UNHCR, independent experts in housing, health and change management, and relevant Departments. Together they bring expertise and commitment to delivering an end to Direct Provision and creating a new International Protection Support Service. Additional expertise may be invited to join the Board periodically to support delivery of key areas such as capital building programmes (A list of members is supplied below).
Work to develop the Board’s terms of reference and a representative membership has been ongoing since March 2021, to ensure the right balance of critical knowledge for the complex task of overseeing the end of Direct Provision.
The Board will hold its first meeting, online, on Thursday 29 July 2021. Minister O’Gorman will address the Board at the beginning of the meeting, highlighting the importance of its work and Government’s support.
Announcing the Board, Minister O’Gorman said:
“As a Government, we committed to end Direct Provision and replace it with a new system that would be run on a not-for-profit basis and centred on human rights. I see the dedicated Programme Board as key to making this happen, and I wish to thank the new Board Members who are committing their time and expertise to this critical task. The Members are talented individuals who have supported large organisations through successful change process, and importantly the Board includes direct experience of the international protection process.
“This is a new approach to supporting the needs of international protection applicants in Ireland. In making a home here, applicants strengthen and enrich our communities. Irish people want to be proud of the support offered to them, and one of the priorities for the Board is ensuring effective engagement with local communities, so we can work together to respond to the needs of both asylum seekers and local residents. This is essential for integration from day one.
“Substantive reforms are being made to the current system. In order to be truly transformative, the new model will rely on strong engagement and cooperation between the State and not-for-profit organisations. I see the Programme Board in its expert guidance and monitoring role as critical to this process of bringing this new system to fruition.”
Read the White Paper here.
ENDS
Programme Board to oversee transition to new International Protection Support Service
Members as of 29 July 2021
Dr Fergal Lynch (Chair)
Fergal Lynch is Secretary General of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The Department continues to have wide responsibility for policy, legislation and services in respect of children and young people. In addition, a number of new functions have transferred to the Department, including responsibility for policy, legislation and services relating to international protection, disability, integration and equality.
Carol Baxter
Carol Baxter is an Assistant Secretary General in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with responsibility for policy, legislation and services in the areas of international protection, integration and equality.
Paul Benson
Paul Benson is a Principal Officer in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, since 2018, managing Private House Grants, Local Authority Stock Improvement Programmes, Traveller Accommodation and International Protection. Prior to taking up a position with the Department, Paul worked at a senior level in the local authority sector for 20 years with huge experience across all of its functional areas and in particular in the area of Housing. He also has practical experience of the resettlement and integration of refugees having served on one of the local interagency resettlement committees as part of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme.
David Delaney
David Delaney is a Director and Deputy Head of Immigration Service Delivery in the Department of Justice. The purpose of the Immigration Service Delivery function is to manage the delivery of efficient, robust and customer-centric frontline immigration services for the Department and the State, whilst maintaining an ongoing focus on the identification of opportunities for continuous improvement of immigration services to customers. The function enables staff to focus on enhancing outputs and outcomes for customers, while ongoing collaboration with other functions ensures that service design and customer experience improvements are at the heart of immigration services
Patricia Doherty
Patricia Doherty has extensive experience in health and social care service delivery and has held a series of senior management and board roles. She is a former CEO of St. Michael’s House (SMH) one of Ireland’s largest voluntary organisations for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. From 2017 to 2021 she worked with the Voluntary Healthcare Forum (VHF), supporting the Chairpersons and Board members of Ireland’s voluntary hospitals in their collective leadership contribution to health policy, strategy, reform, funding and governance. She is a Board member of both Tusla, and the Coolmine Therapeutic Community. She previously served as a board member of the National Federation of Voluntary Service Providers. Patricia has substantial experience in healthcare leadership and management, strategic planning and implementation, corporate and clinical governance, risk management and regulation and building a high performing professional workforce.
Nick Henderson
Nick Henderson is CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, since 2016, and is responsible for operational management, fundraising, advocacy and policy development. Prior to this, Nick managed ‘Integrity at Work’, promoting supportive working environments for whistleblowers. Nick has also managed Amnesty International Ireland’s work on economic, social and cultural rights, was Legal Officer with the IRC Independent Law Centre from 2011-2014, and also worked with the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland on the criminalisation of forced labour. Nick was a legal representative with the Refugee Legal Centre in London from 2004-2010.
Rosemary Kunene
Rosemary Kunene is a community activist and a social entrepreneur. She has been supporting and working with people from refugee and international protection background since 2015. She is also involved in a number of social integration initiatives in Co. Laois. She founded Dignity Partnership to empower people who have lived or are living in Direct Provision centres, and Rosmary sits on a number of Boards
Brendan Lenihan
Brendan Lenihan Managing Director since 2016 of Navigo Consulting, a specialist advisory firm in strategy, business planning and governance, serving private and public sector clients in Ireland and the UK by delivering advisory work on significant financial investments and business plans as well on improving board, organisational and financial effectiveness. Brendan is a former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and has over 25 years of experience in the profession. Brendan is a non-executive Director of Bus Eireann and has held roles as an external member of the Audit & Risk Committees of the CIE Group and the Irish Dental Council. In addition to his professional roles, Brendan also has experience of the charitable sector, particularly in the areas of mental health and homelessness.
John O’Connor
John O’Connor is CEO of the Housing Agency, since 2012, and previous to that CEO of Affordable Homes Partnership and Executive Manager in Dublin City Council. John has over 25 years’ experience in housing and project delivery - social & affordable. He is a structural engineer.
Enda O’Neill
Enda O’Neill is Head of Office with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Ireland, since 2015. UNHCR provides policy and programmatic support and advice to government officials working on resettlement, asylum and related issues. UNHCR also works with the asylum determining bodies to provide training, conduct quality reviews and promote good practice in international protection determination. Enda is a qualified Barrister from the Kings Inns and holds an LLM in European Law from Kings College, London. He practiced for five years in the Irish courts in the areas of criminal law, judicial review and immigration and asylum law.
Jim Walsh
Jim Walsh is a Principal Officer in the Department of Health, in charge of the Drugs Policy and Social Inclusion Unit. His remit includes the provision of health care services for applicants for international protection. He is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the national drugs strategy. Jim formerly worked in as head of policy in the Combat Poverty Agency.
Tanya Ward
Tanya Ward is Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance since 2011. She formerly worked with the Irish Council for Civil Liberties for eight years where she was Deputy Director. She is currently Chair of the National Advisory Council for Children and Young People.