IPRT Staff

The day-to-day work of IPRT is carried out by a small staff team, supported by our expert Board of Directors.

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Saoirse Brady: Executive Director | sbrady@iprt.ie

Saoirse joined IPRT as Executive Director in May 2022. Prior to joining IPRT, she most recently worked as Head of Legal, Policy and Public Affairs at the Children’s Rights Alliance, a role she held since 2016. She previously worked with the Alliance as Research and Projects Manager and with a number of leading rights organisations, including the Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC), Front Line Defenders and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. She has also acted as an independent consultant for the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) and CORU – the Health and Social Care Regulator.

Saoirse holds an MA in European Studies (2004) and a BCL (European Legal Studies) (2003) both from University College Dublin. In 2014, she was selected to participate in a Professional Fellowship Rule of Law Exchange programme, co-sponsored by the US Department of State and Boston College, involving a placement with Boston-based Citizens for Juvenile Justice where she researched the use of mental health courts in the US. She completed the Social Intelligence Associates’ Leadership Development for Transition and Change Programme in 2017.

Niamh McCormack: Legal, Policy and Public Affairs Manager | nmccormack@iprt.ie

Niamh joined IPRT as Legal, Policy and Public Affairs Manager in April 2025. Prior to this, she was Criminal Justice Policy Officer at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Judicial Assistant to the Superior Courts. She has previously worked at the Department of Foreign Affairs and was an Adviser to the Civil Engagement Group in Seanad Éireann. Niamh has also worked in the area of Public and Regulatory law and with a number of human rights organisations, including UNICEF.

Niamh is passionate about writing and has published work on international law and human rights. Her poetry was published in Autonomy (New Binary Press, 2018) and Nemesis (Dublin University, 2017). 

Niamh holds a Bachelor of Law (BCL, 2017) from University College Dublin and a Masters in Public International Law, specialising in Human Rights, from Leiden University (LL.M, 2020). In 2020, Niamh held a research position at the Grotius Centre for International Law at Leiden University. 

Ashling Tobin: Children and Families Project Coordinator | atobin@iprt.ie

Ashling joined IPRT as the Children and Families Initiative Project Coordinator in November 2022. Prior to this she worked with Foróige for 16 years as a Coordinator and Youth Justice Worker, working with young people & their families who were actively involved or at risk of becoming involved in anti-social and or criminal behaviour. She has also worked for 5 years with Crosscare with homeless young people and volunteered with Merchants Quay Ireland and as an English tutor in Guatemala.

Ashling holds a LLM/MA in Human Rights in Criminal Justice from University of Limerick and a BA (Honours) in Social Care with TU Dublin.

Tara Hanlon: Governance and Administration Officer | thanlon@iprt.ie

Tara joined IPRT as the Governance and Administration Officer in February 2024. Prior to this, she most recently worked supporting and growing sustainable organisations as a HR Generalist in the financial services sector at AIG Ireland and EVO Payments.

Tara has also previously been the Secretary of the UCD Law Society and held a number of other roles in student societies. 

Tara holds a BBL in Business and Law from UCD (2021). 

Anne Costello: Traveller Justice Initiative Programme Coordinator | acostello@iprt.ie

Anne was appointed as Travellers in Prison Initiative Programme Coordinator in April 2015. The role was renamed to Traveller Justice Initiative Programme Coordinator in 2022 to better reflect the span of the work. Anne joined the Irish Penal Reform Trust on secondment from St Stephen's Green Trust in September 2024, and in April 2025, she joined the IPRT team.

Prior to this, she was the coordinator for Clondalkin Travellers Development Group (2000-2004). Anne also worked as a resource worker with the Community Platform from 2007 to 2011 and has been employed as a community worker with the Galway Traveller Movement focusing on a number of issues including accommodation, education, justice and rights, enterprise and employment (2004-2015).

She completed a BA in Psychology in 1987, H.Dip in Community & Youth Work from NUIM in 2000 and an MA in Applied Social Studies at NUI Maynooth in 2012.

Tom Lord: Policy and Research Coordinator | tlord@iprt.ie

Originally hailing from Aotearoa New Zealand, Tom joined IPRT as the Policy and Research Coordinator in March 2025. Prior to this, Tom worked for the New Zealand Ombudsman in its role as a National Preventive Mechanism under the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT), including as an OPCAT Inspector and as a Senior Strategic Advisor. Tom has previously worked for Amnesty International UK, interned at the New Zealand Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, and, most recently, was a visiting researcher at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt.

Tom has a master’s degree focusing on international relations from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (2023), and a double bachelor’s in arts and music from Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka | University of Otago (2016).

For communications, please contact: communications@iprt.ie