The National Office Team, NCMC, Independent Reviewers and Tutors

Teresa Devlin - CEO

Teresa has a background in social science, social studies and psychology, and has an advanced diploma in child protection. Teresa has extensive experience in child protection management and family support, both at the levels of senior management and in the specific areas of risk assessment and care planning. Before recently joining the National Board, Teresa served for four years as Head of Research Policy and Service Review at the office of the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY). In October 2022 Teresa was appointed by Pope Francis as a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

Director of Training and Support

The Director of Training and Support is accountable to the CEO, for implementing the strategic goals and objectives of the National Board and with the Director of Safeguarding and Director of Professional Standards for assisting and advising Church personnel in the areas of policy development and best practice in relation to all aspects of child safeguarding.

In particular, the Director of Training and Support will be responsible for developing and coordinating all child safeguarding training initiatives in the Catholic Church

To appoint and coordinate all tutors to assist with coordinating local safeguarding training initiatives
To ensure the accreditation and coordination of all trainers for the delivery of local safeguarding training initiatives.
To develop and ensure the implementation of the National Board training strategy.
To offer best practice advice on all aspects of child safeguarding
To support the development of policy and practice guidance for adoption by the Catholic Church
To develop and implement mechanisms to support best practice in child safeguarding.

Niall Moore

Director of Training & Support

niall.moore@safeguarding.ie

Following his degree in Law, Niall worked in the legal, research and participation departments of the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY), during which time he completed his Masters in Criminology. Following 8 years at NICCY, Niall was appointed to the National Board in 2012 and alongside his full time role of Director of Training and Support, he completed his doctorate at Queens University in Belfast in 2020, examining the role of the Holy See as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Director of Safeguarding

The Director of Safeguarding is accountable to the CEO, for implementing the strategic goals and objectives of the National Board and for assisting, alongside the Director of Training and Support for advising Church personnel in the areas of policy development and best practice in relation to all aspects of child safeguarding.

In addition the Director will support the CEO and review team in conducting reviews of child safeguarding practice across all Church authorities in Ireland.

To offer best practice advice on the management of allegations
To support the development of policy and practice guidance for adoption by the Catholic Church
To assist in assessment and review of child safeguarding practice
To support the Director of Training and Support in delivering training initiatives in line with Training and Support Strategy of the National Board.
To support the CEO in reporting on all aspects of the work of the National Board.

Peter Kieran

Director of Safeguarding

peter.kieran@safeguarding.ie

Peter Kieran has professional qualifications as a social worker and as a counsellor. He has worked at a senior level in Children and Family Services with the SEHB / HSE, and he served for a number of years as a member of the Advisory Panel for the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore. He worked in child protection with the SEHB / HSE South from 1974, and became the Regional Specialist in Children and Family Services in 2004. He worked in that role until his retirement in December 2010. He also teaches on the Masters in Therapeutic Child Care course at Carlow College.

Office administrators

Imelda Ashe-Company Secretary

imeldaashe@safeguarding.ie

Imelda has been an Administrator with the National Board since 2010. Before that, she worked in various agencies/initiatives of the Irish Bishops' Conference.

Ann Cunningham

acunningham@safeguarding.ie

Ann Cunningham commenced work with the National Board in 2019 as an Administrator having previously worked in the Catholic Education department of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference for 10 years.

Data Protection Officer-

The Role of the Data Protection is to be responsible for overseeing and implementing the data protection strategy of the National Board to ensure compliance with the GDPR’s requirements. The Data Protection Officer’s responsibilities include:

Training organisation employees on GDPR compliance requirements
Conducting regular assessments and audits to ensure GDPR compliance
Serving as the point of contact between the National Board and the relevant Data Protection authorities
Maintaining records of all data processing activities conducted by the company
Responding to data subjects to inform them about how their personal data is being used and what measures the company has put in place to protect their data
Ensuring that data subjects’ requests to see copies of their personal data or to have their person data erased are fulfilled or responded to, as necessary.

Niall Moore is the DPO for the National Board and you can contact him on dpo@safeguarding.ie.

NCMC (National Case Management Committee)

The NCMC exists as a function of National Board and is chaired and administered by staff from the National Office. Membership of the panel consists of:

Iarfhlaith O’Neill ( Chair ) Former High Court Judge.

Teresa Devlin (CEO National Board) - formerly NSPCC and experienced social worker in child protection in Northern Ireland.

Fr Michael Mullaney - Canon Lawyer.

Fr Brendan O’Rourke - Therapist with respondents.

Anne Confrey– Civil Lawyer – formerly worked with Mason Hayes and Curran.

Phil Mortell – Ex HSE senior child care manager and designated person for Redemptorist congregation; Trainer and currently on ROI National Child Death Review Panel.

Peter Kieran – Ex HSE senior child care manager, experience from the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore panel in risk assessment and management.

Sr. Helen O Riordan – Loreto Sister and formerly from the Diocese of Ferns with extensive experience in working with survivors of abuse and pastoral support for victims.

Sr. Colette Stevenson – Board member and Former Director of Safeguarding with the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Miriam Tallon- Retired probation officer.

Independent Reviewers

The National Board has a small pool of independent reviewers who have a background in social work, guardian ad litem, policing or affiliated profession. All personnel have experience in child safeguarding and in conducting assessments of practice. These people do not work for the National Board in any other capacity and do not have a relationship with the Church authority under review.

Tutors

Role of the Tutor

The tutor’s role is to:

Carry out assessments of trainers to ensure they are able to deliver the National Board training effectively and to the required standards.
To support trainers in their ecclesiastical area by carrying out 2 support meetings a year.
Attend 2 meetings a year with the Director of Training and Support in the National Board to assist with coordination of trainers and the development of new resources for training.
Assist the Director of Training and Support to coordinate the sharing of trainers across dioceses and religious orders within the ecclesiastical area (when and if required).

Contact Details

ARMAGH ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE

Eleanor Kelly

Email: ekelly@archdioceseofarmagh.com

DUBLIN ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCIAL AREA

Julie McCullough

Julie is a graduate of Queens’ University, Belfast and the University of Edinburgh. She is the DLP/Director of Safeguarding for the Irish Province of Carmelites and the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers). She has delivered NBSCCCI Safeguarding Training since 2014. Prior to that she delivered safeguarding training in a medical setting.

Email: DLP@gortmuire.com

Fr.Paddy Boyle
Paddy is a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin, with a background in education, teaching at primary and secondary levels. He has spent ten years as coordinator of training for the Dublin Archdiocese, which included becoming a registered trainer with the National Board and tutor. At present he is co-Parish Priest of Ayrfield and Donaghmede parishes in the Raheny area of Dublin.
Email: p.boyle@dublindiocese.ie

Garry Kehoe

Garry has been a safeguarding trainer for the Archdiocese of Dublin since 2007. I 2015 he took up the role of Training & Development Coordinator for the Dublin Diocesan Child Safeguarding & Protection Service, and in 2021 was appointed Training & Compliance Manager for the Archdiocese. Garry is responsible for rolling out training to the 196 parishes in the diocese and is ably assisted by eight accredited trainers.

Email: garry.kehoe@dublindiocese.ie

CASHEL ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCIAL AREA

Avril Halley

Avril has worked in the Diocese of Waterford & Lismore since 2007 as a Registered Trainer and Safeguarding Children Coordinator, also as a tutor with the National Board for a number of years. Avril and her husband are the proud parents of 4 adult children, and grand parents to 7 gorgeous grandchildren

Email: safeguarding@waterfordandlismore.ie

TUAM ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCIAL AREA

Maureen Walsh
Maureen is from the Archdiocese of Tuam and was registered as a NBSCCCI tutor in 2016. Maureen is Principal of Holy Rosary College Mountbellew and in a voluntary capacity also acts as Chairperson of the Safeguarding Committee, and a registered National Board trainer in the Archiocese of Tuam. She is married to John and has 3 adult children

Email: safeguarding@tuamarchdiocese.org

Kevin Duffy

Email: kduffy@galwaydiocese.ie