Minister Foley appoints new Chairperson to the Tusla Board

The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, has today announced the appointment of Ms. Madeleine Clarke as the Chairperson of the Board of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. 

Ms. Clarke is being appointed by the Minister following a selection process managed by the Public Appointments Service and in accordance with the Government’s Guidelines on Appointments to State Bodies.

Ms. Clarke brings substantial expertise to the Board of Tusla. She is a professional psychologist and previously served as Deputy Chief Executive of Barnardos, where she was responsible for the development and management of services for children and families, as well as for human resources, administration, and corporate planning.

Her career includes extensive work as an independent consultant with both statutory and non‑statutory bodies, including the HSE, the Department of Health and Children, and numerous other organisations. Much of this work has focused on the needs of children and young people. Ms Clarke is the founder of Genio, a non-profit organisation that manages public and philanthropic innovation funds and provides capacity‑building to support public service reform.

A vacancy for the role of Chairperson on the Board of Tusla arose on 31 December 2025 when the term of office of Mr. Pat Rabbitte, Chairperson, expired.

Speaking on the appointment, Minister Foley said:

“I am very pleased to appoint Ms. Madeleine Clarke to be the next Chairperson of Tusla. I am in no doubt that Ms. Clarke has all the qualities necessary to lead Tusla to the next stage of its development."

"Her career reflects a deep commitment to social innovation, system reform, and improving the lives of vulnerable people, most especially children. Ms Clarke’s skillset will help her lead Tusla into the future and addressing the many challenges it faces as an organisation."

"I am grateful to the outgoing Chairperson, Mr. Pat Rabbitte, on completing his two terms as Chairperson of the Board of Tusla. Pat has shown steadfast leadership, sincere commitment, and absolute dedication in his role as Tusla Chairperson since 2018. I thank him and wish him every success for the future.”