IPRT Staff

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

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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.

Dr Helen Kehoe: Legal and Public Affairs Manager | hkehoe@iprt.ie

Helen joined IPRT as Legal and Public Affairs Manager (Maternity Cover) in April 2023. Prior to this, she most recently worked as a Senior Researcher in the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisors in the Houses of the Oireachtas. Helen has also previously worked as a part-time lecturer in constitutional law and has considerable experience in research and legal policy having worked in the Law Society of Ireland and the Law Reform Commission.

Helen holds a PhD in International Human Rights Law from NUI Galway (2020), an LLM in International and Comparative Law from Trinity College Dublin (2006) and a BCL (Law with French Law) from University College Dublin (2005). She is also qualified as a solicitor and is a non-practising member of the Law Society of Ireland.

Pamela Drumgoole: Policy and Research Coordinator | pdrumgoole@iprt.ie

Pamela joined IPRT as Policy and Research Coordinator in November 2022. She previously spent five years working in various roles in IPRT, leading our campaigning and public relations work in roles including Communications Officer and Campaigns Officer. She has also worked with Merchants Quay Ireland and The Wheel.

She holds a BBL in Law and Business and an MA in Comparative Criminology and Criminal Justice, both from Maynooth University. A strong proponent of lifelong learning, she has continued her education in recent years, completing a Certificate in Digital Marketing and a Postgraduate Diploma in Media Relations.

Michelle Byrne: Communications Officer | communications@iprt.ie or mbyrne@iprt.ie

Michelle joined IPRT as the Communications Officer in December 2022. She previously spent three years working as the Community Campaigns Manager and as a Campaigner at Uplift. Prior to this she was the Deputy President of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and held a number of other elected roles in the student movement including Vice President for Campaigns in USI and President of SETU Students' Union. 

Michelle holds a BA in Design (Visual Communications), a Diploma in Digital Marketing and has studied Policing and Society on the MA in Public Policy at Dublin City 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.

Paula Dempsey: Governance and Administration Officer | pdempsey@iprt.ie

Paula Dempsey joined IPRT as Governance and Administration Officer in September 2022. From December of 2020 until August of 2022 Paula was first a research officer and then admin/PA at the now closed National Centre for Guidance in Education where she supported an update of Guidance related learning in Primary and Secondary Schools and Further Education and training centres across the country. She has a background in academia and hospitality.

Paula holds a BA in Psychology (2019) from Trinity College Dublin and will soon be a qualified Literacy Tutor through NALA.