Advancing Justice, Inspiring Change
Irish Penal Reform Trust: A Commitment to Fairness
Explore our mission to transform the penal system through advocacy, research, and reform.
Our Vision and Mission
Our Vision expresses the fundamental objectives of IPRT, which underpin all of our work.
IPRT’s Vision
Our vision is a just, humane Ireland where prison is used as a last resort.
To achieve this Vision, IPRT commits itself to achieving a number of specific objectives. These objectives are set out in the Mission Statement of the organisation.
IPRT’s Mission Statement
Our mission is to advocate for a progressive criminal justice system that prioritises alternatives to prison, upholds human rights, and champions reintegration. We do this through conducting research, campaigning and changing attitudes.
IPRT’s Values
All of IPRT’s work is underpinned and informed by our Values as an organisation.
Our work is underpinned by human rights, a regard for human dignity and the humane treatment of people in the criminal justice system
We hold the State to account by calling out human rights issues within the system. We push for the highest possible standards of human rights recognition and compliance within the criminal justice system. We promote equality and respect human rights in all our work.
We are an organisation of integrity
We act honestly, ethically and respectfully when carrying out our research, communications and changemaking activities. We operate to the highest levels of transparency around how we use our funds to advance our purpose in line with charity regulation, legal compliance and ethical practices. We are an independent human rights voice.
We are a reflective organisation
We listen to and are open to feedback from our stakeholders and from people who have a lived experience of the criminal justice system. We keep up to date on current policy and best practice nationally and internationally. We support our team to learn and grow, adapting and responding as our environment changes.
We demonstrate leadership as an organisation. We are thought leaders in the advancement of penal reform and imagine evidence-informed alternatives through our in-depth research and insights.
We are the go-to organisation for the most current thinking in penal reform
We engage diverse voices and encourage change in favour of greater social justice and to inform proposals to improve policy for people affected by the criminal justice system. We are courageous about standing up for what is right, even when our opinions are unpopular.
Our Journey Through Reform
Discover the pivotal moments that have shaped the Irish Penal Reform Trust’s advocacy and impact.
1994
Foundation of IPRT
The Irish Penal Reform Trust was established to address the urgent need for reform in the Irish penal system.
2001
First Major Policy Publication
IPRT published its first comprehensive policy document, setting the stage for future advocacy efforts.
2010
Landmark Campaign for Prisoner Rights
Launched a successful campaign advocating for the rights of prisoners, leading to significant policy changes.
2020
Research on Penal System Impact
Conducted groundbreaking research highlighting the social and economic impacts of the penal system, influencing public debate and policy.
Committed advocates for addressing abuses of human rights in Irish prisons
Who We Are
We are an independent charity founded in 1994 by a group of citizens concerned about the abuses of human rights in Irish prisons.
IPRT is governed by a voluntary Board of Directors, made up of a minimum of six members with expertise in a range of areas relevant to penal reform. The Board focuses on the broader strategic goals of the organisation, above the day-to-day work of the office. Six members of the Board are elected at the organisation’s AGM and further members may be co-opted by the Board.
IPRT is committed to ensuring that the Board is representative of Irish society, is gender-balanced and is an expert Board that includes the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully lead the organisation.
The day-to-day work of the office is currently carried out by the IPRT staff, greatly supported in our work by dedicated volunteers.
Meet Our Dedicated Team
IPRT’s Staff
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.
Oisín Ó Néill : Governance and Administration Officer | ooneill@iprt.ie
Oisín joined IPRT as Governance and Administration Officer in August 2025. Prior to this, he trained and worked in Dublin law firms, qualifying as a solicitor in March 2024.
Oisín grew up in County Waterford in an Irish-speaking household. He is passionate about human rights and social justice, with a particular interest in the protection of environmental rights. He is also a Director of the Gaelic Woodland Project, a volunteer-led charity focused on restoring Ireland’s native woodlands, where he leads on community engagement and fostering environmental stewardship.
He holds a Bachelor of Law (BCL, 2020) from University College Dublin.
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).
Siobhán Tracey – Communications and Campaigns Lead | stracey@iprt.ie
Siobhán joined IPRT as Communications and Campaigns Lead in August 2025. Prior to this, she worked with Mercy Law Resource Centre as Communications and Fundraising Lead, where she delivered strategic communications to support housing and homelessness advocacy. She previously worked with Concern Worldwide Korea, leading English-language communications and public outreach on global justice issues.
She brings over a decade of experience across the NGO and legal sectors, with a particular focus on human rights and access to justice.
Siobhán holds a B.A. (Hons) from Trinity College Dublin, a Diploma in Legal Studies from DIT, and is a qualified solicitor. She recently completed an MSc in International Public Policy at Queen Mary University of London (2024).
For all communications inquiries, please reach out to Siobhán directly or email communications@iprt.ie.
IPRT’s Board of Directors
Derval McDonagh (Chairperson)
Derval is a senior leader in the not-for-profit sector with over 20 years’ of experience. Derval has held many varied roles in her career including Chief Operations officer at Cope Foundation in Cork and now CEO of Inclusion Ireland. She has a Masters in Leadership. Derval has been appointed to the Disability Stakeholders group by Minister Rabbitte and to the Regional Health Advisory Group by Minister Donnelly. Derval became chair of the board of Directors of IPRT at IPRT’s AGM in September 2024.
Ashling Golden (Vice Chairperson and Secretary)
Ashling is Justice Programmes Manager in Solas Project, working with young people aged 15-24 who are no longer suitable for diversion, before the courts, in prison and returning to the community post custody. She works face-to-face with these young people, while also managing the staff and the strategic development of the work. Previously, Ashling worked for eight years in a Garda Youth Diversion Project in Dublin’s North Inner City, as well as with Roca in Boston, an organisation focused on young gang members. Ashling has a BA in Public Administration and Community Development from the University of Limerick, as well as a Master’s in Youth and Community Work from the National University of Maynooth and a Master’s in Criminology from TU Dublin.
Noel Moloney (Treasurer)
Noel has over 18 years of experience working within the Asset Management sector spanning Dublin, Luxembourg, and London. He holds an MBA from Trinity College Dublin, is an ACCA-qualified accountant, and holds a Diploma in Investments and Securities from the Institute of Banking and a Diploma in IFRS with Chartered Accountants Ireland.
Noel is currently a Director in a leading Irish consulting firm. He assists his clients with their Governance, Operational, and Risk models to ensure best practices and alignment with regulatory expectations. Noel is also a member of the Operational Risk Committee with Irish Funds. In addition, Noel is also the Treasurer/Board member of another Irish Registered Charity.
Dr Lisa Cuthbert
Lisa is the current CEO of Mental Health Ireland. Previously, she was the CEO of PACE (opens in new window) (Prevention Accommodation Community Enterprise) since 1999, overseeing the growth and development of PACE. In that role, Lisa developed an extensive programme of pre- and post-release services for life sentence and long-term sentence prisoners and introduced a range of accommodation services for men leaving prison. Lisa is also a member of the Parole Board.
David O’Riordan
David is a qualified ACCA accountant and QFA (Qualified Financial Advisor) working as a financial accountant in financial services. David graduated from MTU in 2018 with a Bachelor of Business in Accounting. He qualified as an accountant in 2022. He has also earned a certificate in Sustainable Finance from Cambridge University.
Post ACCA qualification David spent two years working as an Audit Senior. He is familiar with regulation and compliance issues from his audit work. He has also held positions in the motor industry and more recently in financial services. David has engaged in voluntary work with a number of local charities in Cork.
Amy McArdle
Amy is a Trust and Safety professional who works to develop and enforce principles and policies that define acceptable behavior and content online. She is currently the Product Policy Transparency Manager at TikTok, and was previously Safety Policy Manager for EMEA at META. Before working in the tech sector, she has more than 15 years’ experience in various professional contexts including international diplomacy, national politics, criminal defense, and the NGO sector. Her academic background is in criminology, law, and international human rights law.
Juracy Antunes
Juracy Antunes is a seasoned HR professional with over a decade of international experience spanning diverse sectors, including technology, healthcare, finance, and both the public and private sectors. With a rich academic background, Juracy holds degrees in Arts, Philosophy, and Pedagogy, alongside Master’s degrees in Human Resources Management and University Education.
Beyond his professional career, Juracy has dedicated himself to impactful volunteer leadership. He serves on the boards of TENI (Transgender Equality Network Ireland), StartBright, and Heritage Credit Union and has held roles such as Co-Chair of FUSION and Chair of Trim Family Resource Centre.
IPRT’s Volunteers
As a small organisation, we believe we punch well above our weight – and that is down to the assistance and support of volunteers, who bring their skills and passion for social justice and penal reform to IPRT. Along with our volunteer expert board, we also run a volunteer placement programme – details are available here.
IPRT InternsAlthough not a requirement, most of our volunteers have hailed from either a law background or a social sciences background, or both. Quite a few have come from and indeed gone on to further study in the area of criminology, right up to PhD level.
Former volunteers have also come back to take on roles within the IPRT team, including Michelle Martyn (Senior Research & Policy Projects Manager from Nov 2016 to April 2021), Pamela Drumgoole (Campaigns Officer from June 2017 to July 2019; Communications Officer from March 2020 to present) and Kate O’Hara (employment-based PhD candidate 2013-2016).
Since June 2009, the following people have volunteered their time and skills with us. Gluttons for punishment (pardon the pun), they keep offering to come back and help us out at events, while furthering the cause for progressive penal reform through social media networks. We think they are amazing.
See our list of volunteers
- Marian Deady: July-August 2009
- Aoife Drudy: July-August 2009
- Michelle Martyn: September 2009 – January 2010
- Martin Quigley: September 2009 – January 2010
- Lynsey Black: February – June 2010
- Kate O’Hara: February – June 2010
- Leah Barry: July 2010
- Paul McKeon: July 2010
- Louise Brangan: August 2010
- Judith McGimpsey: September 2010 – January 2011
- Stephen Moffatt: October 2010 – January 2011
- Colette Barry: February – May 2011
- Maggie Coughlan: February – June 2011
- Nóra Ní Loinsigh: July – August 2011
- Sarah Lynch: September 2011 – January 2012
- Lisa Mannion: September 2011 – January 2012
- Tina Martin: February – June 2012
- Ashleigh Shaheen: February – March 2012
- Louise Brangan: May – June 2012
- Gillian Smith: July – August 2012
- Lianne Meagher-Reddy: September 2012 – January 2013
- Sinéad Mercier: February – June 2013
- Tríona Lenihan: February – August 2013
- Ronan Hickey: October 2013 – February 2014
- Elizabeth Martin: March – June 2014
- Keith Adams: March – June 2014
- Yvanne Kennedy: June 2014 (full-time)
- Harriet Burgess: July – August 2014
- Amy Deane: September 2014
- Iseult Ni Choitir: September 2014 – January 2015
- David McGuinness: February – May 2015
- Róisín O’Sullivan: June 2015 (full-time)
- Ellen Whelan: February – July 2015
- Louise Rohan: July – August 2015
- Sean Duggan: September 2015 – January 2016
- Katie Stevens: September 2015 – February 2016
- Karl McGrath: February – June 2016
- Ciara Redmond: March – June 2016
- Órlaith Ní Mhadagáin: June 2016 (full-time)
- Stephen Byrne: July 2016 – September 2016
- Aoife Hyde: August 2016 – January 2017
- Neil Rafter: September 2016 – January 2017
- Aisling Bruen: February 2017 – March 2017
- Pamela Drumgoole: January 2017 – May 2017
- John Lynch: April 2017 – September 2017
- Leanne Digney: June 2017 – August 2017
- Denise Roche: September 2017 – January 2018
- Emily Ryan: October 2017 – January 2018
- Niamh Wade: January 2018 – May 2018
- Anna Devereux: February 2018 – June 2018
- Anna Flynn: February 2018 – June 2018
- Erin Ward: June 2018 (full-time)
- Aisling Troy: July 2018 – August 2018
- Eibhlín Looney: September 2018 – January 2019
- Maebh Butler: September 2018 – February 2019
- Aisling Walsh: Feb – May 2019
- Mairéad Deevy BL: August 2019
- Rebecca Connolly: July 2019 – December 2019
- Orlaith Rice: September 2019 – January 2020
- Annmarie Maher: February 2020 – May 2020
- Eloise Thompson-Tubridy: February 2020 – June 2020
- Doireann O’Brien: February 2020 – June 2020
- Tommy MacDiarmada: August 2020
- Jessica O’Connor: September 2020 – January 2021
- Hazel Nolan: September 2020 – January 2021
- Shauna Armstrong: February 2021 – May 2021
- Agnel Nidhi Shiji: February 2021 – May 2021
- Sean Egan: February 2021 – June 2021
- Declan McGovern: February 2021 – June 2021
- Ella Woolfson: July 2021 – August 2021
- Danielle DerGarabedian: June 2021 – August 2021
- Eamonn Sullivan: August 2021 – October 2021
- Ellen Hyland: September 2021 – January 2022
- Hannah Edwards: October 2021 – January 2022
- Liam Ryan: February 2022 – May 2022
- Daniel Quinn: February 2022 – May 2022
- Colleen Ralph: July 2022 – August 2022
- Ashleigh Pillay: September 2022 – January 2023
- Emma McLoughlin: September 2022 – January 2023
- Laura Baldwin: February 2023 – May 2023
- Sydney Ellis: February 2024 – May 2024
To find out how you can get involved, see here.
Our Patron and Advocates of IPRT
IPRT is delighted to have the support of an esteemed Patron, and four Advocates who champion our work in the area of prisoners’ rights and penal reform.
Our Patron and our Advocates have a strong connection with arts in prisons and a lifelong commitment to advocating for the human rights of prisoners.
Patron of IPRT:
Michael D Higgins, President of Ireland
Advocates of IPRT:
- Paula Meehan – poet (patron since May 2010)
- Peter Sheridan – author, director (patron since May 2010)
- Ivana Bacik TD (patron since June 2010)
- John Lonergan – former Governor of Mountjoy Prison (patron since June 2010)