I am an experienced, independent Social Research Consultant who specialises in research involving children and young people. I have a first class honours degree (B.A.) in Sociology and a Masters (M.Sc.) in Applied Social Research from Trinity College Dublin.

In 2004 I was the recipient of the National Children’s Office ‘National Children’s Strategy Research Scholarship Placement’. I worked in the research unit of National Children’s Office, which evolved into the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, until 2005 when I became an independent Social Research Consultant. Since then, I have conducted research for a variety of Government and Non-Governmental Organisations both in Ireland and internationally.

In addition, I have worked as a Qualitative Researcher on ‘Growing up in Ireland’, the National Longitudinal Study of Children funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs since the study began in 2008.

While I have considerable expertise in the area of research involving children and young people, I have also conducted research in other fields such as educational reform, homelessness, racism and diversity, older people, access to healthcare for undocumented migrants, adult community education, recreation, social deprivation and inter-country adoption.

• Office of the Minister for Children (2006) Report of the public consultation for the development of the national recreation policy for young people. http://www.omc.gov.ie/documents/policy/Rec_ConsultationFINAL.pdf
• Department of Children and Youth Affairs (2011) Report of a consultation with young people on reform of the Junior Cycle. http://www.dcya.gov.ie/documents/publications/ReportconsultationwithyoungpeopleonreformoftheJuniorCycle.pdf
• Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (2010) Life skills matter- not just points: A survey of implementation of Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in second-level schools. http://www.omc.gov.ie/documents/publications/Life_Skills_Matter.pdf
• Department of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (2011) An audit of children and young people’s participation in decision-making. http://www.dcya.gov.ie/documents/publications/childrenandyp_DecisionMaking.pdf
• Dun Laoghaire VEC and Southside Partnership (2008) A feasibility study for the development of a youth café in the Dun Laoghaire area. http://www.southsidepartnership.ie/reports/2Development of Youth Cafe in Dun Laoghaire area -Feasibility Study 2008.pdf