Appointments to the Physiotherapists Registration Board:

The Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD has appointed/reappointed the following persons as members to the Physiotherapists Registration Board.

Joanne Dowds

Joanne Dowds graduated from Trinity College, Dublin with a BSc in Physiotherapy in 1999 and began her career as a rotational staff grade in various hospitals. She specialised as a Senior Physiotherapist in Respiratory Care and became a Clinical Specialist in 2006, focusing on critical care, surgical recovery, and post-COVID-19 care. In addition to her clinical work, Joanne has served as Deputy Physiotherapy Manager and Quality Improvement Facilitator at St James’s. She has extensive lecturing experience and completed an MSc in Exercise Physiology and Healthcare Leadership. An active contributor to professional committees, she has over 20 publications and regularly presents at international conferences.

Sheelagh McNeill

Sheelagh McNeill is an experienced Chartered Physiotherapist with an extensive background in professional governance, ethics, and international accreditation. A dedicated advocate for the profession, Sheelagh served as President of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) from 2010 to 2012. She has been a member of the Physiotherapists Registration Board (PRB) since 2022 and further extended her regulatory contributions by joining the Professional Practice Advisory Committee (PPAC) in December 2025.

Róisín O’Hanlon

Róisín O’Hanlon, a physiotherapist qualified from Trinity College in 1989, worked abroad and in various Irish clinical settings before managing a physiotherapy team at Portiuncula Hospital. She holds an MA in Healthcare Management, was called to the Bar in 2022, and has served as Vice President of an ISCP branch. Róisín has been the Chair of the Physiotherapists Registration Board since 2022, overseeing major registration reforms and the creation of a Radiological Diagnostic Procedures division of the register.