Appointments to the Psychologists Registration Board - 21 July 2021

The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, with the consent of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, has re-appointed the following as members of the Psychologists Registration Board with effect from 21 July 2021 to 20 July 2025:

Ms Joan Fitzgerald

Joan Fitzgerald retired in 2012 following a long career in the pharmaceutical industry where she reached executive level and has gained considerable managerial experience both in Ireland and in the US. In the 3 years following her early retirement she worked as an independent consultant with a number of pharmaceutical companies in Europe before returning to academic life where she is currently completing a PhD in Cognitive Genomics in National University of Ireland Galway. Joan obtained a BSc (Hons) in Microbiology from UCD in 1976. In her professional career, she served in a number of positions with Allergan Inc. from 1978 to 2012, rising to Vice President of the company in 2008. In this role, she was responsible for overseeing the Worldwide QA Biologics function. Earlier positions with Allergan included Quality Assurance Director, Botox Facility, Project Manager - Pharma Facility, and Microbiology Supervisor. She had also previously worked with other pharmaceutical companies, including Travenol Laboratories Ltd. and Bimeda Chemicals.

Ms Kathleen Vickers

Kathleen Vickers has been working in social care for many years, progressing from the delivery of direct care to senior management. She is currently self-employed providing information, advice and support to agencies regarding people management, change management, evaluations and reviews and policy development. She is also an accredited workplace investigator.

In her first management role in the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI), the organisation was moving from a traditional charity model of service to a professional, person-centred and effective service model. As a member of the national management team, she was involved in the strategic process at national and regional level, ensuring the engagement of, and effective communication with, all stakeholders.

In 2009, Kathleen took on a senior management role with Cheshire Ireland. As a member of the senior management team, she was involved in strategy and policy development. The shift from traditional institutionalised services to individualised community-based services and an emerging regulatory environment gave her further valuable experience in change management.

From the beginning of her career, Kathleen had an interest in improving services and initially entered management as a way of influencing change within organisations. She is knowledgeable around the area of corporate governance and understands fully the importance of a skilled, engaged and effective board. As part of her review work, Kathleen provides support to agencies regarding board governance, ensuring that they have a clear strategy for sustainability and are compliant with the Charities Governance Code, relevant legislation and public policy.

Kathleen has also recently been appointed to the board of the Rehab Group as a volunteer trustee.

On the nomination of the Minster for Education, the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, has re-appointed the following as a member of the Psychologists Registration Board with effect from 21 July 2021 to 20 July 2025:

Dr Eimear Spain

Eimear Spain is a Senior Lecturer in Health Law at the University of Limerick (UL). She lectures in Health Law to students across the Graduate Entry Medical School, the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, the School of Allied Health and the School of Law at UL. One of her key interest areas is in the field of law and psychology, both research and teaching. She has published numerous books, book chapters and articles in the areas of health, criminal, constitutional and administrative law both nationally and internationally, including a monograph entitled ‘The Role of Emotions in Criminal Law Defences; Duress, Necessity and Lesser Evils’ with Cambridge University Press. Much of her research is interdisciplinary in nature and she has secured grant funding with colleagues in obstetrics, midwifery, educational psychology and social psychology.

The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, has re-appointed the following as members of the Psychologists Registration Board with effect from 21 July 2021 to 20 July 2025:

Dr Gráinne Kirwan

Dr. Gráinne Kirwan is a Chartered Psychologist and lecturer in Psychology in Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), teaching on both their Psychological Society of Ireland accredited BSc (Hons) in Applied Psychology and the MSc in Cyberpsychology. She has over twenty years of experience in teaching psychology in two Irish institutions (University College Dublin and IADT) and was an Associate Professor Of Psychology at a university in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She has been involved in research with academics from a number of international universities and has given numerous invited presentations, including keynote presentations at conferences both in Ireland and abroad. Gráinne has served as an external advisor to multiple international universities and is a past chair of the Psychological Society of Ireland’s (PSI) Special Interest Group in Media, the Arts and Cyberpsychology. She has been a recipient of funding in respect of a number of projects, has supervised postgraduate student research and has published extensively in her field of expertise. Gráinne was awarded her PhD by UCD in 2006.

Ms Sinead Fitzgerald

Sinead Fitzgerald has 30 years experience working as a Clinical Psychologist in the public health service. She currently holds responsibilities as a Principal Clinical Psychologist in CHO DNCC and Director of Clinical Practice at Trinity College Dublin (TCD)/ Health Service Executive (HSE) Clinical Psychology Doctoral Training Programme for the past 18 years. As part of her HSE role, Sinead has responsibility for the employment and management of 45 doctorate level clinical psychology trainees, overseeing their personal, professional and clinical development. Her educational qualifications include an MA in Clinical Psychology from University College Dublin. She became an Honorary Adjunct Assistant Professor at TCD in 2016.

Dr Fiona Weldon

Fiona Weldon is CEO & Director of Leeward Clinical, a Psychological Healthcare company. She is a Consultant Clinical, Forensic & Counselling Psychologist providing psychological services in the areas of adult mental health, criminal/family law assessment, clinical seminars, and organisational consultancy services to private/ state organisations and individuals. She has previously been a consultant to the Department of Health regarding the Consultation Process for the National Drugs Strategy. Fiona has over 17 years’ experience across the private and public sectors, including 4 years as a Senior Psychologist in the National Forensic Psychiatric Service Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum where she worked leading the Dialectical Behaviour Therapy team, with clients with enduring mental illness. She subsequently worked for 6 years as CEO/ Clinical Director of the Rutland Centre, a residential and outpatient addiction treatment centre. Fiona was responsible for the executive function of the operations of the Centre, including clinical development of the therapeutic programme, and supported the organisation through a significant change management process. Her professional qualifications include a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology awarded by Trinity College Dublin in 2004.