Members of the Authority
Members of the Authority
The Newly Appointed Authority
Members of the Adoption Authority (L-R Dr Helen Greally, Geoffrey Shannon, Helen Collins, Corrina Carrick, Ann McWilliams, Siobhan Keogh, Dr Cyril McNulty)
- Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, (Solicitor) Chairperson
- Ms. Helen Collins, (Solicitor) Deputy Chairperson
- Ms. Ann McWilliams (SW/Research expertise)
- Ms. Corinna Carrick (Solicitor)
- Ms. Siobhan Keogh (SW/Experience in adoption practice)
- Dr. Cyril McNulty (GP)
- Dr. Helen Greally (Psychologist)
(L-R Geoffrey Shannon, Chairman Adoption Authority;Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald T.D;Liz Canavan, CEO Adoption Authority)
The Adoption Authority is very pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Canavan as the first Chief Executive Officer of the Authority. Ms Canavan has taken up the statutory appointment this month as a result of an open public competition for the new position which was conducted by the Public Appointments Service.
Ms Canavan comes to the Adoption Authority with the notable benefit of many years of previous experience working in senior positions within the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and the Department of Health and Children. Her assignments there included extensive experience at senior level in the areas of adoption policy and adoption legislation. In particular, Ms. Canavan played a major role within the OMCYA in the drafting, development and enactment of the Adoption Act 2010.
The Chairman of the Authority, Mr. Geoffrey Shannon said “This appointment has been awaited and the appointment of Ms. Canavan is especially welcome. Ms. Canavan has a strong reputation in the adoption field with the former Adoption Board, the Department and a wide range of stakeholders both here and abroad. The Authority members are looking forward to supporting Ms. Canavan in her leadership role in building the Authority’s capacity to deliver a world class adoption service for Ireland in which the best interests of children are the first and paramount consideration.”
The Chairperson of The Authority
Geoffrey Shannon
Geoffrey Shannon is a solicitor and senior lecturer in family and child law at the Law Society of Ireland. In June 2006, he was appointed by the Government to the independent position of Special Rapporteur for Child Protection.
Geoffrey has been selected by the European Expert Organising Committee as the Irish expert member of the Commission on European Family Law. In September 2007, he was appointed by the Government as Chairman of the Adoption Board.
Geoffrey’s many publications include Divorce: Law and Practice (Thomson Round Hall, 2008).
He is the editor of the Irish Journal of Family Law and has written extensively on family and child law issues.