PRESIDENT MICHAEL D HIGGINS has just announced his seven nominees to his advisory body, the Council of State.

This was released from his office just now:

In accordance with Article 31 of the Constitution, President Michael D Higgins has today appointed the following people to be members of the Council of State:

Michael Farrell

Michael Farrell is the senior solicitor with Free Legal Advice Centres. He was involved in the Civil Rights movement in Northern Ireland and is a former co-chairperson of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. Michael was a member of the Irish Human Rights Commission from 2001 until last year and is currently the Irish member of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance.  He is also a member of the Human Rights Committee of the Law Society.

Professor Deirdre Heenan

Deirdre Heenan is Provost and Dean of Academic Development for the University of Ulster’s Magee Campus, where she a member of the Senior Management Team. She was appointed to a Lectureship in Policy Studies at the University of Ulster in 1995 and became a Professor in 2007. Professor Heenan is a co-founder and former co-director of the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey which has become a key statistical resource for schools, academics and policy makers.  Her particular areas of expertise are devolution, education and social care.

In 2008-9 Deirdre spent nine-months working as a policy adviser in the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister. Last year she was appointed by Health Minister, Edwin Poots, to join the five strong panel of advisers to assist with the Review of Health and Social Care Services in Northern Ireland.

Judge Catherine McGuinness

Judge Catherine McGuinness was called to the Bar in 1977 and to the Inner Bar in 1989.  She was a member of Seanad Éireann from 1979-82 and was a previous member of the Council of State from 1988-90. She served as a Judge of the Circuit Court from 1994-1996, of the High Court from 1996-2000 and of the Supreme Court from 2000-2006. From 2005-2011, she was President of the Law Reform Commission. She is currently the Adjunct Professor of Law at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

Professor Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh

Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh is Professor Emeritus in History and former Dean of Arts and Vice-President of the National University of Ireland, Galway. A former member of the Senate of the NUI and of the Irish-US Fulbright Commission, and a former Cathaoirleach of Údarás na Gaeltachta, Professor Ó Tuathaigh has published widely – in Irish and English – on many aspects of modern Irish history.

Ruairí McKiernan

Ruairí McKiernan is a community activist and social entrepreneur. He is the founder of the national youth organisation SpunOut.ie. He is also a founder and organiser of the Possibilities 2011 Social Summit. Ruairí is a business graduate and is a recipient of numerous awards including a Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Award, a Net Visionary Award, and a Junior Chambers International Award.  After 8 years as CEO of SpunOut.ie, he recently stepped down to develop new social innovations.

Sally Mulready

Sally Mulready has made a huge contribution to the Irish emmigrant community in Britain over many decades. She was born in Dublin and moved to Hackney, London with her mother in the 1970s.

Sally is a local Labour councillor in the London Borough of Hackney since 1997. In her former capacity as the Secretary of the Federation of Irish Societies, Sally was involved in securing the Irish Government’s agreement for the creation and funding of five Survivor Outreach Services in Britain.  She is also a founder member of the Irish Women’s Survivors Network and Director of the Irish Elderly Advice Network.
Sally was prominently involved in the campaign to free the Birmingham Six and is currently active in the Magadelene Launderies issue.

Professor Gerard Quinn

Professor Gerard Quinn is the Director of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at the NUI Galway School of Law.  The Centre is part of a new Lifecourse Policy Research Institute at the University which researches policy innovation covering age, child and family as well as disability.  He is a graduate of UCG (BA, LL.B.), was called to the Irish Bar in 1983 and holds a masters (LL.M.) and doctorate in law (S.J.D.) from Harvard Law School.  His specialization is international and comparative disability law and policy.

Professor Quinn led the delegation of Rehabilitation International (RI) at the UN Working Group that elaborated the new UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  He has worked in the European Commission and held a number of posts such as Director of Research at the Law Reform Commission and First Vice President of the European Committee of Social Rights (Council of Europe).  He is a former member of the Irish Human Rights Commission.

He voluntarily participates on a number of international boards dealing with disability law and policy issues.

These are the current members of the Council of State

Ex Officio

An Taoiseach, Mr. Enda Kenny
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade, Mr. Eamon Gilmore
The Hon. Susan Denham, Chief Justice
Mr. Sean Barrett, Ceann Comhairle, Dáil Éireann
Senator Patrick Burke, Cathaoirleach, Seanad Éireann
The Hon. Mr. Justice Nicholas Kearns, President of the High Court
Ms Máire Whelan, S.C., Attorney General

Former office holders

Mary McAleese
Mary Robinson
The Hon. Mr. T. A. Finlay
The Hon. Mr. Justice Ronan C Keane
The Hon. Mr. John Murray
Mr. Liam Cosgrave
Mr. John Bruton
Mr. Albert Reynolds
Mr. Bertie Ahern
Mr. Brian Cowen