IPRT Staff

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

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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.

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.

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.

Michelle Byrne: Communications and Campaigns Coordinator | communications@iprt.ie or mbyrne@iprt.ie

Michelle joined IPRT as the Communications Officer in December 2022 and became the Communications and Campaign Coordinator in December 2024. 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.

Tara Hanlon: Governance and Administration Officer | thanlon@iprt.ie

Tara joined IPRT as Governance and Administration Officer in February 2024. Prior to this, she most recently worked supporting and growing sustainable organisations as a HR Generalist in the financial services sector at AIG Ireland and EVO Payments.

Tara has also previously been the Secretary of the UCD Law Society and held a number of other roles in student societies. 

Tara holds a BBL in Business and Law from UCD (2021). 

Anne Costello: Traveller Justice Initiative Programme Coordinator | acostello@iprt.ie (on secondment)

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 Irish Penal Reform Trust on secondment from St Stephen's Green Trust in September 2024.

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.