National Advisory Group
The Age Friendly National Advisory Group provides governance, oversight, strategic direction, and advice in relation to the overall programme achieving its goals and objectives. They provide guidance and advice where local implementation & best practices can influence national policy on a cross departmental basis and seek to integrate the Programme into existing structures and considering how best to align with other relevant national policies and plans.
The National Advisory Group ensures the Age Friendly Programme achieves its strategic objectives and ensures expenditure is in line with budget.
The members recognise that the National Advisory Group can be used as a vehicle for raising priority issues and proposed solutions that are beyond the scope of local alliances and in this context regular feedback from the National Network of OPC’s, the National Programme Managers and the National NGO Forum is presented to the National Advisory Group for strategic advice.
List of National Advisory Group Members
Fiona Lawless – Chief Executive, Meath County Council
Originally from Trim, Ms Lawless has worked with Meath County Council since 2002, she is a fellow of the institute of chartered accountant with a BSc in Management and over 40 years work experience including 20 years senior management experience in local government and senior level experience with Eircom, Loctite and PwC Ireland.
The chief executive has a track record of successfully delivering many projects including organisational change and transformation projects as well as excellent service delivery.
In her role as Head of Finance, Ms Lawless has been on the board of the Navan Enterprise company and sits on the LEADER IEC Committee. She developed the first corporate governance framework for local authorities in Ireland which was implemented in Meath County Council and used by the IPA as the national template for the corporate governance framework and governance code for the local authority sector. As Chairperson of the National Debt Management Project Group, she led the development of a strategy on debt management for the local government sector which was adopted and implemented by all 31 local authorities.
In June 2023 Ms Lawless achieved a Post Graduate Diploma in Corporate Governance, Risk Management, and Internal Audit.
Ms Fiona Lawless, Chief Executive of Meath County Council is committed to continuous change and adaptation for the benefit of Meath County Council and its citizens.
Pat Dowling – Chief Executive, Clare County Council
Pat is a native of west Limerick and a graduate of UL. He now resides in West Clare. He was appointed to the post of Chief Executive, Clare County Council in September 2016. Prior to his appointment in Clare he was Deputy Chief Executive in Limerick City and County Council.
He has worked in local government for the past twenty two years and had responsibility for the merger of Limerick City and County Councils as part of the Local Government Reform Act 2014. He worked in a number of areas in local government including responsibility for housing and regeneration programmes in the Limerick city area.
He is the National Chair of the Age Friendly Alliances.
He worked in areas of rural development and the LEADER programme prior to joining local government.
Tom Enright – Chief Executive, Wexford County Council
A native of Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Mr. Enright worked in Limerick for almost 20 years where he held the posts of Director of Environment and Emergency Services with Limerick County Council and Director of Planning and Economic Development with Limerick City and County Councils. He previously worked with Waterford and Wicklow County Councils and with consultants in the private sector. He is a former member of the Refugee Taskforce and Tourism Taskforce and was appointed by the Minister for Justice to the national Anti-Racism Committee. Mr Enright is Chairman of the Local Government Management Association and a Board Member of a number of companies including Waterford Airport and the Housing Finance Agency.
He is an engineering graduate of University College Cork and Cranfield University in the UK and holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from Dublin City University and is a Member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland.
Paula Hilman – Assistant Commissioner Roads Policing & Community Engagement – An Garda Síochana
Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman had 34 years’ policing experience with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) before joining An Garda Síochána in May 2020. As Assistant Commissioner for Roads Policing & Community Engagement she has responsibility for the National Roads Policing Bureau, the National Youth Diversion Bureau, the National Community Engagement Bureau, Public Order and Major Event’s policy.
Previously as a Detective Chief Superintendent Paula was in charge of PSNI’s Public Protection Branch. Paula was Chair of the Strategic Management Board which oversees Public Protection Arrangements for Northern Ireland. In June 2019 Paula was elected the first female President of the Superintendents Association for Northern Ireland, the staff association that represents the Superintending ranks within PSNI. Paula is a Strategic Firearms Commander and Gold Public Order Commander with extensive experience in operational policing in Northern Ireland. In 2013 Paula was awarded an MBE for services to Policing and the Community.
Stephanie O’Keeffe – HSE National Director, Integrated Operations | Planning
Dr. Stephanie O’Keeffe is a social psychologist with over 20 years’ experience working in the health sector, working extensively on national strategy development and implementation. Nine years ago, Stephanie led the development of Ireland’s first cross-sectoral, whole-of-population health and wellbeing framework, Healthy Ireland, while working in the Department of Health. Subsequent to that, she led out in its implementation as National Director of Health and Wellbeing in Ireland’s health service.
More recently, Stephanie was appointed to lead on health service planning across all areas of care, augmenting and improving decision support tools, ensuring that plans are ambitious, evidence-based, and integrated from a population and whole-service perspective. Stephanie has a BA (Hons) in Psychology, an MSc (distinction) in Psychological Research Methods and Assessment, a PhD in Psychology and a Certificate and Diploma from the Chartered Director’s Programme in Ireland.
Siobhan McArdle – Department of Health – Assistant Secretary for Social Care, Mental Health, Drugs Policy and Unscheduled Care Division
Responsibility at Assistant Secretary level for policy development and oversight of the provision of health and social care services for older people, people with a disability, palliative care, dementia care, mental health services, people who use drugs and inclusion health.
The Social Care, Mental Health, Drugs Policy and Unscheduled Care policy division spans older people, palliative care, dementia and carers, mental health services, people who use drugs, inclusion health and access to urgent and emergency care.
The divisional remit is to develop policy and underlying legislation as required, to ensure the provision of high quality health and social care services to support and enable all service users to maximise their full potential, supporting people to live and age well in their communities through the provision of locally accessible community services aligned with Sláintecare policy.
Caroline Timmons – Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage – Acting Assistant Secretary – Housing Affordability, Inclusion and Homelessness
Bairbre Nic Aongusa – Assistant Secretary of Community Development at the Department of Rural and Community Development
Bairbre Nic Aongusa is responsible at Assistant Secretary level for Local & Community Development Policy, Libraries Development, the Social Inclusion & Community Activation Programme (SICAP), supports for Community and Voluntary Groups, government’s relationship with Philanthropy, and the Charities Regulator.
The Community Development Division promotes and supports the development of vibrant, sustainable and inclusive communities in both urban and rural areas, through implementing a coherent policy framework and strategy which supports the community and voluntary sector.
Tania Banotti – Director of Creative Ireland – Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Tania Banotti has responsibility at Director level for leading and co-ordinating on the Creative Ireland Programme 2023-2027, the Government’s five-year plan to place the creative arts at the heart of communities throughout Ireland. She has extensive experience in arts and advertising, with a background in media, politics and economics.
She most recently served as Chief Executive of Advertising Practitioners of Ireland (IAPI). Before taking the position at IAPI in 2012, where she established a number of new campaigns – including a successful drive for new members – she served as Chief Executive of Theatre Forum Ireland, where for nine years she worked to expand and promote the organisation as Ireland’s leading performing arts group.
Ian Talbot – Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland
Ian Talbot is Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland – Ireland’s Largest Business Organisation. He is responsible for driving the future growth and strategic development of the organisation as it seeks to promote the competitiveness of business in Ireland, represent interests of its members, and facilitate the development of the chamber network.
Prior to joining Chambers Ireland, Ian held positions as a Director of Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase in Ireland. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse where he spent several years working in their Dublin and Luxembourg offices. Ian holds MA and BBS degrees from Trinity College, Dublin.
Garret Doocey – Assistant Secretary for Transport Investment and Public Transport Policy for the Department of Transport
Garret Doocey is Assistant Secretary with responsibility for Transport Investment and Public Transport Policy. He has held a number of other roles in the Department of Transport in the corporate, public transport and maritime areas and started his Civil Service career in the Courts Service. Prior to joining the Civil Service, he worked in the private sector and holds a MSc in Economic Policy Studies and a MA in Public Management.
Liz Canavan – Assistant Secretary Department of the Taoiseach
Elizabeth Canavan is the current Assistant Secretary General of the Social Policy and Public Service Reform Division, Government Information Service, and Corporate Affairs in the Department of the Taoiseach. In this role, she is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the Governments response to COVID19 and the Humanitarian Response to the Ukrainian Crisis. She is the Secretary to the Cabinet Committees on Health, Education, Social Affairs and Equality and the Chair of the associated Senior Officials Groups.
She is also Deputy Chair of the National Economic and Social Council and Secretary to the Civil Service Management Board.
Previously, she held the position of Assistant Secretary General in the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Acting Secretary General in both the Departments of Children and Youth Affairs, and Rural and Community Development, and Chief Executive Officer of the Adoption Authority of Ireland. She is a native of Galway and a graduate of Dublin City University, from which she holds a BA (Humanities).