Elizabeth Canavan

Elizabeth Canavan is Assistant Secretary General of the Social Policy and Public Service Reform Division in the Department of the Taoiseach. She is the Secretary to several Cabinet Sub-Committees, namely Health, Disability, Children & Education and Justice, Migration & Social Affairs. She is Chair of the associated Senior Officials Groups. In this role, she has been responsible for coordinating and overseeing the Government’s Humanitarian Response to the Ukrainian Crisis and held similar responsibilities for the Government’s response to Covid-19. She is Deputy Chair of the National Economic and Social Council, Secretary to the Civil Service Management Board and a member of the Public Service Leadership Board.

Elizabeth is a career civil servant and has worked extensively in the policy development in the areas of Health, Children & Families and Public Service Reform. 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; Chief Executive Officer of the Adoption Authority of Ireland; and Deputy Director of the then National Children’s Office. She is a native of Galway and a graduate of Dublin City University, from which she holds a BA (Humanities) and Diploma from the Institute of Directors.