Summit 2026 Programme

Séamus Boland

President of the European Economic and Social Committee

Séamus Boland was elected as President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in October  2025. He has been an EESC Member since 2011. He has held different roles at the Committee, including President of the Civil Society Organisations' Group (2020-2025) and Vice President of the Civil Society  Organisations' Group (2018-2020).  His policy and political interests include the eradication of poverty, social exclusion, rural development and inequality. Séamus has been CEO of Irish Rural Link since 2001, Chair of the Peatlands Council since 2012 and a  Board Member of Inland Fisheries Ireland (2018-2022).  In October 2024, he was appointed to the Just Transition Commission as an independent expert by the  Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications in Ireland. President Boland is a farmer and has worked in civil society for over 40 years, including with young people, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and people living in rural isolation. He is a trained Speech and Drama Educator. President Boland is married to Geraldine Boland and has three children and three grandchildren.

Jerry Buttimer TD 

Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and at the Department of Transport

Jerry Buttimer has been TD for the Cork South-Central constituency since the 2024 general election, and previously from from 2011 to 2016. He was Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann from December 2022 to November 2024, and Leas-Chathaoirleach from July 2020 to August 2020. He also served as a Senator for the Labour Panel from 2007 to 2011 and 2016 to 2024, and as Leader of Fine Gael in the Seanad from 2016 to 2020.

Inez Bailey is CEO of the Centre for Effective Services (CES) and Chairperson of The Wheel. She is responsible for leading the CES team and implementing the organisation's strategy in line with the vision and leadership of the Board. Before joining CES, Inez was the Chief Executive of the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA), a role she held for more than 20 years. NALA is an independent charity committed to making sure people with literacy, numeracy and basic digital skills needs can fully take part in society and have access to learning opportunities. Inez served on the inaugural Healthy Ireland Council and is a former member of the Government’s Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, which advises the Government on skills needs and labour market issues that impact enterprise and employment growth. She has served as Chair and Board member of a range of charity and statutory bodies. Inez is a graduate of the University of Sheffield (EdD) and Maynooth University (BA, MA, Dip) and holds a Certificate in Leader as Coach from the Association of Coaching. 

Lorraine Egan is the Chief Executive of Horizons, Hope Foundation in Cork. She has responsibility for working with Horizons’ Board of Directors and Executive Management Team to ensure the organisation’s vision, strategy and long term goals are delivered. Lorraine has over 25 years’ experience in the health and social care sector in Ireland. She commenced her career in frontline disability service delivery progressing to middle and senior leadership positions. In 2013 Lorraine was appointed as one of the Health Information and Quality Authority’s (HIQA’s) first inspectors with disability expertise when the Health Act 2007 Regulations for the disability sector were enacted. Since then, Lorraine has held several senior management positions with the Health Services Executive (HSE) and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). Lorraine’s most recent role was with HSE South West as General Manager for Disability Services where she had responsibility for the procuring, funding, delivery and monitoring of disability services for the Cork and Kerry population

Kiren Khalid is an experienced advocacy professional specialising in complex and evolving multicultural dynamics. She recently completed a Management degree in the Social and Voluntary Sector, focusing on migrant women’s inclusion, integration needs, and employment opportunities. With a background in advocacy, she worked in Pakistan and Afghanistan post-9/11 as an Advocacy Officer with an INGO. A migrant woman herself, Kiren holds degrees in Communication Studies and Development Studies. She began her journey with Nasc six years ago as a volunteer on the Women’s Programme and now leads it as Programme Manager, overseeing its coordination, growth, and impact. With a focus on empowerment, skill-building, and community engagement, she designs and leads initiatives that address social isolation, language barriers, and economic inclusion. Her work centers on amplifying women’s voices, fostering resilience, and ensuring meaningful participation in society. 

Sorcha Killian is the Co-Founder of Hygiene Hub, a national social enterprise working to address hygiene poverty. Since its founding, the organisation has grown from a grassroots initiative to a nationwide network supporting over 30,000 people per quarter through more than 160 community partners. Hygiene Hub Ireland has distributed over €700,000 worth of essential hygiene products and delivered more than 125,000kg of supplies to communities across Ireland. Sorcha has been recognised as a Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awardee and, alongside her cofounder Ciara Dalton, was nominated for the Image PwC Social Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. She is a passionate advocate for systems change, focusing on collaboration, dignity in service design, and long-term solutions to poverty and inequality. 

Amina Moustafa has extensive experience in using community development and sports-based approaches to promoting social inclusion, building community resilience and addressing social issues. Amina currently works with Louth Local Development supporting families and communities experiencing marginalisation and poverty. Amina previously worked with the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation supporting women who have been affected by conflict and connecting women peacebuilders on an all-island basis. She is passionate about using sport for social inclusion and has been involved with Sport Against Racism Ireland since 2014. She holds a BA in Neuroscience from Trinity College and a Degree in Global Youth Work and Development Education from Maynooth University.

Damien Quinn is the founder of Spéire Nua, an organisation supporting people to rebuild their lives through lived experience leadership, peer mentoring, personal development, policy entrepreneurship, and innovation.  With a strong focus on rehabilitation, reintegration, opportunity creation, authentic connection, and championing lasting change, Damien works across Ireland to create pathways for people impacted by the justice system, helping turn lived experience into leadership, policy influence, purpose, and lasting community connection. 

Paula Soraghan is a proud disabled woman who is very passionate about activism through an intersectional lens. She understands the importance of Collective Empowerment and representation. Paula is employed as the VOICE Community Development Worker for Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford & Waterford in Independent Living Movement Ireland since January 2022. As part of this work, Paula is connecting with disabled people from different backgrounds and working collectively with them in online spaces to make social change. Paula is passionate about peer support and disabled people sharing their lived experiences as a collective to bring about change!

Helena Dilleen is a qualified Mindfulness Coach. She found mindfulness to be highly effective in supporting her in managing her work (self-employed since 2008) and personal life. Inspired by the positive impact it had on her and those around her, she pursued professional training. Her goal is to share the valuable skillset learned with as many people as possible, helping them to enhance mental clarity, build resilience, and maintain overall well-being.

Maura Adshead is Head of Community Engagement and Professor of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Limerick (UL), where she leads UL Engage. Located in the Office of the Vice President for Global and Community Engagement, UL Engage is responsible for developing and supporting community-university partnerships, engaged research and community engaged learning at the University of Limerick. She is a former president of the Political Studies Association of Ireland and a regular political commentator on Irish TV, radio, newspapers and online journals in Ireland and internationally. She is a strong advocate for university-community engagement, using her position to hammer home the importance of communities driving their own development agenda - because when it comes to community development, people who live in communities are the best experts to consult and include. 

Jay Bobinac is Chief Executive Officer of Release Prison Partnership, an Irish nonprofit working to reduce reoffending through restorative justice and long term support for people in and leaving prison. Release operates across Irish prisons, delivering restorative justice education, mentoring that continues after release, recovery and behaviour change programmes, and practical reintegration support including housing and employment pathways. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor’s degree and two Master’s degrees in Peacekeeping and International Development, and Social Care, alongside professional qualifications in social care and business. He is a recipient of the Lord Mayor’s Award and the Irish Red Cross Young Humanitarian Award for his work. 

Jenny Branigan is Territory Manager for parkrun Ireland, supporting the growth and sustainability of a free, inclusive, community event that takes place every weekend across the country. With a background as a Chartered Physiotherapist and many years of experience across healthcare, leadership and public health advocacy, she is passionate about removing barriers to participation so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of being active, being social and spending time outdoors. She has previously worked in elite sport, founded and led a healthcare business, and served in governance roles, experience which she now brings to championing parkrun’s mission and community impact. 

Dr Eoin Byrne is the Employer Services Manager at Grow Remote, overseeing Ireland's largest remote work skills programme. Before joining Grow Remote, Eoin was a researcher and lecturer at the University of Galway. He is the recipient of several prestigious research funding fellowships and has been invited to speak in several countries across Europe and North America. He has extensive experience in designing and delivering courses at third level and for adult education, both online and in person, and in multilingual contexts. He also leads Grow Remote's Policy Team, providing policy inputs and briefs to government in relation to national strategy and legislation.

Nicola Byrne is CEO of Shine, a national organisation working to support people affected by mental illness and to reduce stigma in Ireland. She leads Shine’s strategic engagement across research, policy and service delivery, with a particular focus on embedding lived experience in decision-making. Nicola has worked across both the voluntary and statutory sectors, bringing a cross-system perspective to the development of partnerships between community organisations, researchers and public services. She has developed national platforms for participatory engagement, including Shine’s Voice Platform, Reference Group and Ambassador Programme, which inform research, policy and service design. She works closely with academic institutions, the HSE and government departments to advance rights-based, recovery-oriented approaches to mental health. Nicola holds two Master’s degrees, including an MSc in Applied Social Research from Trinity College Dublin, and is a registered social worker. 

Karen Ciesielski has been the CEO of the Irish Environmental Network sine 2019. She is the Coordinator of the Environmental Pillar of social dialogue and represents the Pillar on the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). Previously, she worked for Focus Ireland and spent 10 years at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. 

Maggie Clune began her career in the private sector in customer service, sales and marketing. She has worked with PACE for 12 years, initially as Training and Social Enterprise Manager and then as CEO. She played a key role in developing PACE Social Enterprise, including The Mug Shot coffee businesses, creating employment opportunities for people with criminal records. Her work has received national and international recognition. Maggie just completed a PhD researching entrepreneurship for people with criminal records. Maggie is chair of the Justice Community Network, which represents Justice funded Community organisations nationally.

Jenny Courtney is the CEO of Belvedere Youth Club CLG. She brings over 15 years of leadership experience to the nonprofit sector, grounded in a strong foundation in business management. As CEO of Belvedere Youth Club, she drives strategic growth, operational excellence, and sustainable social impact. Jenny has held diverse leadership roles across the voluntary sector, leading teams, strengthening performance, and delivering measurable outcomes. Drawing on her lived experience of marginalised communities, she is deeply committed to expanding opportunity for children, young people, and families. Jenny champions innovation, partnership, and empowerment to help communities overcome barriers, realise potential, and advance social justice. 

Dr Lyndsey El Amoud is Deputy Director of Adult Continuing Education (ACE) at University College Cork, where she leads the strategic development of flexible, part-time and lifelong learning programmes for adult learners. With extensive experience in widening access and participation, she works to ensure that ACE offers inclusive, responsive and high-quality learning opportunities that support individuals, communities and enterprise. Lyndsey plays a significant leadership role in shaping lifelong learning policy and practice nationally and internationally. She represents UCC in major national initiatives in lifelong learning and contributes to European collaborations focused on flexible learning pathways, equity, and adult participation in higher education. 

Maria Fleming is Chief Executive Officer of First Fortnight, Ireland’s national mental health arts charity and annual Mental Health Arts & Culture Festival. With over 20 years’ experience in arts leadership and cultural production, she has worked with Dublin Theatre Festival, The Ark and Druid Theatre Company. She leads First Fortnight’s role in a major EU cultural collaboration, match funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, overseeing communications across the European partnership. Maria is Chair of the National Campaign for the Arts and helped secure the Basic Income for Artists permanently in Budget 2026. She also serves on the board of the Irish Cancer Society. 

Angie Gough is CEO and co-founder of Helping Irish Hosts (HIH), a grassroots organisation founded in response to the invasion of Ukraine. HIH supported ordinary Irish households to open their homes to displaced people, building the practical systems and safeguarding supports needed to make hosting work at scale. The organisation has directly matched over 3,000 people into 1,500 homes and helped shape Ireland’s wider hosting model. Angie is part of the leadership of Co.Here, an EU-supported integration pilot developed in partnership with UCD and Pairity, focused on smart matching and deep community engagement. She is passionate about community-led solutions and keeping people at the heart of big decisions.

Eva Gurn is CEO of Boardmatch. She joined the organisation in 2011 and was promoted to CEO in 2018 having held the position of Director since 2015. Eva is responsible for the overall strategic direction of Boardmatch, ensuring it achieves its objectives and continues to strengthen boards and make them more diverse. Eva is passionate about how boards recruit, engaging new audiences to volunteer on boards and innovative in the ways we can do it. 

Lorna Hayes is Deputy CEO of European Movement Ireland, leading on policy and engagement programmes. Lorna is an experienced researcher and advocate with 20 years’ experience working with leading international human rights and development organisations including Trócaire, Amnesty International and Front Line Defenders. During her career she has successfully designed and led research and campaigning strategies and presented her research findings to a range of audiences. She has managed country programmes in complex contexts such as Central America, Colombia and Myanmar and worked closely with civil society networks in all world regions. 

Sarah Jane Hennelly and Maria Cleary are Co-CEOs of Community Therapy Ireland, pioneering a collaborative shared-CEO model that balances complementary expertise, trust, and values-driven leadership. Together, they are redefining senior leadership in Ireland’s mental health sector, showing that delivering meaningful impact and thriving parenthood are not mutually exclusive. Through CTI, members provide trauma-informed, recovery-focused, rights-based therapy nationwide, supporting over 80,000 people across every county. With two decades of combined experience in governance, policy, digital innovation, and clinical standards, Sarah Jane and Maria are shaping a model of leadership built to last. 

Dr Avril Kennan is CEO of Health Research Charities Ireland (HRCI), a national organisation that brings together over 40 health research charities representing people affected by cancer, rare disease, mental health conditions, dementia, disability and a wide range of chronic illnesses. HRCI works to turn hope into reality by supporting charities to engage in research that improves lives. Under Avril’s leadership, the organisation strengthens partnerships between charities and researchers, enables people and families to influence research decisions, and advances national efforts to better understand, prevent and treat health conditions. She leads the Irish Health Research Forum, bringing together stakeholders to shape better health research in Ireland, and oversees the Joint Funding Scheme with the Health Research Board, which has funded over 150 projects aligned with member priorities. Avril holds a PhD in genetics, previously worked as a molecular biologist, and held senior roles in DEBRA Ireland and DEBRA International. 

Sarah McCague is a partner in the Arthur Cox Pensions and Charity Law groups. In relation to pensions, she advises trustees and employers on the establishment and day-to-day operation of occupational pension schemes including: on scheme restructuring, liability management exercises, benefit design, benefit reductions, scheme amendments and administration queries. In relation to charities, she advises on the Charities Act, 2009 and the Charities (Amendment) Act, 2024 and in particular in relation to applications to the Charities Regulatory Authority (CRA); obtaining tax-exempt status from the Revenue Commissioners; the mergers of charities; investigations by the CRA; fundraising queries; cy-prés applications and governance matters. Sarah sits on the Arthur Cox Sustainable Business Committee and is the partner responsible for charity matters. She lectures on the Law Society Certificate in Charity Law, Trusteeship and Governance and is a director of Charities Institute Ireland. 

Celine McStravick joined NICVA as Chief Executive in January 2023. She has key responsibility for engagement with Government Ministers and their departments on policy issues that interest voluntary and community organisations in Northern Ireland. Celine started her involvement in the voluntary and community sector as a volunteer youth leader, moving on to roles in local councils developing European funded projects as part of the Peace 1 programme. Before joining NICVA, Celine was Strategic Director with National Children’s Bureau (NCB) for 14 years.  

Michelle Moore is the National Home Visiting Manager at the Early Learning Initiative, National College of Ireland. She has over 20 years of experience in early childhood education, leadership, and programme management. Michelle holds an honours degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s in Business Administration. She oversees national home visiting and parental engagement programmes, focusing on implementation, training, quality assurance, and impact. She also serves on the governing body of the National College of Ireland and is a member of the executive committee of the Home Visiting Alliance and PEIN.

Sharon Morrow is Vice President of the Health Management Institute and CEO of the Bon Secours Hospital Dublin. Sharon originally qualified as a nurse, holding a number of positions at Tallaght University Hospital, St James’s Hospital and with the HSE National Clinical Programmes. She subsequently took up post of Deputy CEO /Chief Operations Officer Tallaght University Hospital, CEO LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice and Director of the All-Ireland Child Children’s Cardiac Network before taking up her current position as CEO, Bon Secours Hospital, Dublin. In addition to a BSc (Hons), Sharon has a MBA, MSc in Medical Ethics & Law, Prof Diploma in Corp Governance, and is a Black Belt in Lean/Six Sigma. 

Niall Mulliagan is CEO of the Peter McVerry Trust. He has worked within the charity sector since 1990, specifically in the areas of addiction, justice, homelessness, HIV & sexual health, suicide prevention, human rights & social justice, mental health, and poverty. Niall has held senior management positions in some of Ireland's leading charities.

Jason O’Donovan is the founder of Social Factory, a mission-driven social enterprise exploring new models of civic infrastructure designed to strengthen participation, wellbeing and local economic activity. With a background in architecture, his work focuses on how the design of physical environments and community programmes can influence social outcomes, particularly among young people. Jason’s research examined how underused buildings could be reimagined as collaborative spaces supporting creativity, learning and social connection. He is currently developing a pilot model in Ireland while engaging with European initiatives exploring the role of design, participation and the social economy in building stronger communities. 

James O’Hagan is Head of Health Equity and Inclusion Programmes and Partnerships at LGBT Ireland, where he leads national initiatives to improve health outcomes and inclusion for LGBTQ+ people. His work focuses on strengthening equity in health and social care through professional training, cross-sector partnerships, and programmes addressing issues such as intimate partner abuse, mental health, and inclusive care for older LGBTQ+ people . 

Christina Riordan is Project Manager of The Changing Lives Initiative, a cross-border, community-led early intervention project to address neurodevelopmental conditions, such as ADHD and Autism. Christina joined Archways, lead partner in The Changing Lives Initiative, in August 2017 to manage the first INTERREG VA funded Changing Lives project. Following  successful delivery of the initial 3.5 year project and further work funded through the All Island Fund, What Works and the HSE; Christina is now managing delivery of the new 4-year PEACEPLUS funded phase of the project to deliver a new cross-border community-based early intervention pathway for neurodevelopmental concerns. 

Jelena Simic is an Early Years leader and Programme Coordinator at Preparing For Life, with extensive experience in programme design, mentoring, and quality improvement across Early Years services. She holds a BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Education and an MA in Mentoring, Management and Leadership from Technological University Dublin (TUD). She specialises in translating policy into practical, high-quality programme delivery, supporting educators and services to strengthen practice through training, coaching, and reflective practice. Passionate about infant mental health, trauma-informed practice, and the power of play, she is dedicated to empowering educators to help children thrive and reach their full potential

Aoife Smith is a transformative leader at the Great Care Co-op (GCC), Ireland’s first worker-owned care cooperative. A pioneering model developed by and for carers, addresses the sector’s systemic workforce crises, low wages, high turnover, and the labour market disadvantage of low waged women and migrant workers in the home care sector. By replacing precarious employment with democratic ownership, GCC supports people to move from isolated workers to shared business ownership. Aoife is a leading advocate for ethical workforce development, proving that sustainable recruitment in the Irish care economy requires dismantling discrimination and empowering the frontline, is financially and ethically viable.

Anthony Soares is the Director of the Centre for Cross Border Cooperation. He oversees the development and advocacy of policies at regional, national and European levels that support sustainable cross-border and transnational cooperation. He has designed and led many cross-border cooperation projects, with many of them working with organisations in the community and voluntary sector to support them in building their capacity to establish sustainable cross-border partnerships. 

Garry Walsh is the Campaigns Manager at Oxfam Ireland since January 2026. Before that, he spent almost 15 years in Trócaire, including three years as Campaigns Manager. He chairs the Stop Climate Chaos (SCC) Coalition’s Action Working Group and was centrally involved in organising the National Climate Demonstration last November and the SCC Mass Lobby of the new Dáil in December 2025. Garry started his career as the National Coordinator of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign and in Trócaire led their campaign work for the enactment of the Occupied Territories Bill. 

Amy Woods is the Head of Advocacy and Engagement at Volunteer Ireland. Amy has been with Volunteer Ireland since 2015, and took on the role of Head of Advocacy and Engagement in 2023. She oversees the organisation’s communications, advocacy, research, and the Community Volunteers programme, ensuring strategic alignment and impact. As the primary spokesperson, Amy represents Volunteer Ireland across national and sectoral forums and builds strong partnerships with stakeholders. Amy acts as primary spokesperson for the organisation and represents Volunteer Ireland on a number of fora. Managing a small team, Amy strives to set a culture in line with Volunteer Ireland’s values.