BOARD OF MANAGEMENT

Oberstown Children Detention Campus is governed by a Board of Management appointed by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs under the Children Act 2001, as amended (s. 164). Under the Act (s. 167), the Board has 12 members plus a Chairperson and the membership includes: representatives of the Minister’s Department, the Department of Education and Skills and Túsla; two representatives from the local community and two staff members, with five members identified via the State Boards appointment process. Members are appointed for a term, renewable, of up to four years. The Board’s authority is set out in the 2001 Act (primarily ss. 165 and 167) which provides that it has such powers as are necessary or expedient for the exercise of its functions.

The new Board of Management of Oberstown was appointed by Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone, TD on 1 June 2019 under the Children Act 2001.

The Minister re-appointed Professor Ursula Kilkelly of the School of Law, University College Cork to the position of Chairperson of the Oberstown Board for a period of four years.

The Minister has also appointed twelve other members to the Board as follows;

Name	Appointment	Term
Ms. Noreen Leahy	DCYA	3 years
Mr. Eamon Clavin	DES (Re-appointment)	4 years
Mr. Pat Rooney	Local resident (Re-appointment)	3 years
Ms. Elizabeth Howard	Local resident (Re-appointment)	3 years
Mr. Laoise Manners	Staff (Re-appointment)	2 years
Mr. Craig Mulligan	Staff	2 years
Ms. Linda Creamer	Tusla (Re-appointment)	4 years
Mr. Don O’Leary	PAS (Re-appointment)	3 years
Ms. Emer Woodful	PAS (Re-appointment)	3 years
Ms. Jennifer Gargan	PAS	4 years
Ms. Bernadette Costello	PAS	4 years
Mr. John McDaid	PAS	4 years

Professor Ursula Kilkelly - Chairperson

Professor Ursula Kilkelly was appointed Chairperson of the Board of Management in January 2016. She is a Professor of Law at University College Cork and an established international expert in youth justice and detention and children’s rights. At UCC, she teaches Juvenile Justice and Children’s Rights on the LLM in Children’s Rights and Family Law and is is co-editor of Youth Justice: An International Journal. Appointed by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone, TD.

Eamon Clavin

Eamon Clavin, appointed on 4 July 2019 by the Minister on foot of the requirements of section 167 of the Children Act 2001. Eamon is a Divisional Inspector in the Department of Education of Skills. He is attached to the Inspectorate’s Teacher Education and Inclusion Evaluation and Policy Support Unit. He has a particular interest in Special Education, DEIS and Traveller Education and he is a Council member of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

Bernadette Costello

Bernadette Costello, appointed 4 July 2019, Appointed by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, following selection through the PAS process. She is a former Director of Internal Audit & Risk Management, National University of Ireland, Galway. Bernadette has extensive experience in financial and management accounting, corporate governance and related areas.

She has served on the Council of Chartered Accountants Ireland, and past Chair of Chartered Accountants Ireland Audit Committee and Chair of the Board of Accounting Technicians Ireland. Bernadette is a Chartered Director, a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Higher Diploma in Education from National University of Ireland, Galway

Linda Creamer

Linda Creamer, appointed 4 July 2019. Appointed by the Minister on foot of the requirements of section 167 of the Children Act 2001.
Linda Creamer is a regional Service Director in Tusla with responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services in the Dublin North East region
Linda since qualifying as a Social Worker in 1998 has specialised in the field of child protection and welfare. Her career has included in working directly with children and their families in the community and developing extensive expertise in the area of management and the delivery of services.

Within her various roles in Tusla, she has encountered many young people who experienced early childhood trauma and recognises how this impacts on their ability to manage day to day challenges as adolescents.

Linda values inter agency partnership as a model that can put in place seamless and relevant responses to young people in crisis.

Noreen Leahy

Noreen Leahy is a Principal Officer of the Minister of Children and Youth Affairs. Appointed 8 June 2020 by the Minister on foot of the requirements of section 167 of the Children Act 2001.

Jennifer Gargan

Jennifer Gargan has an established area of expertise in the areas of children’s rights, child protection and welfare, youth justic and detention working within the statutory and NGO sectors. A qualified social worker Jennifer has worked in the areas of community development, child protection and family support. As CEO of EPIC Jennifer was an active advocate for the rights of young people with care experience in order to bring about changes in legislation, policy and practice.

Jennifer is currently a member of the Board of the Irish Family Planning Association and Barnardos Audit and Risk Committee.

Jennifer was appointed to the Board of Management on 4th July 2019 by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

Elizabeth Howard

Elizabeth Howard, appointed 4 July 2019, is a local community representative resident in the vicinity of the Oberstown campus. She was appointed by the Minister on foot of the requirements of section 167 of the Children Act 2001.

Laoise Manners

Laoise Manners, appointed 4 July 2019, is a Medical Support Work on the Oberstown Campus. She is an elected staff nominee, appointed by the Minister on foot of the requirements of section 167 of the Children Act 2001.

John McDaid

John McDaid, Appointed 4 July 2019 by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, following selection through the PAS process. John is the Chief Executive of the Legal Aid Board having previously worked for the Board as a solicitor and also having worked in private legal practice. He holds a Masters of Science in Business Practice.

Craig Mulligan

Craig Mulligan, appointed 4 July 2019, is Residential Social Care Worker on the Oberstown campus. He is an elected staff nominee, appointed by the Minister on foot of the requirements of section 167 of the Children Act 2001.

Don O’Leary

Don O’Leary, appointed 4 July 2019, is the Director of the Cork Life Centre, a voluntary organization offering an alternative learning environment to young people who find themselves outside mainstream education. Appointed by the Minister on foot of the requirements of section 167 of the Children Act 2001.

Pat Rooney

Pat Rooney, appointed 4 July 2019, is a local community representative resident in the vicinity of the Oberstown campus. He was appointed by the Minister on foot of the requirements of section 167 of the Children Act 2001.

Emer Woodfull

Emer Woodfull, appointed 04 July 2019 is a practicing barrister at the Law Library Dublin who was called to the Bar in 2003. She has a background in child, criminal, investigative, inquiry & employment law. She was previously an award winning current affairs broadcaster and series producer in RTE the national broadcaster. In her early career she worked as a teacher in a school for young offenders. Appointed by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, following selection through the PAS process