TASC Board


mike_2015_1 Mike Jennings

Board Chair

Mike Jennings was General Secretary of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) from 2007 to 2017. He is also a former member of the Executive Council of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. (Appointed 01.12.2018) (Reappointed 21.01.2022)


Proinsias De Rossa Proinsias De Rossa

Board Member

Proinsias De Rossa was elected Chair of TASC's Board in 2012. Formerly, MEP for Dublin (1989-1992, 1999-2012), Member of the Dáil (1982-2002) and Minister for Social Welfare (1994-1997) when he introduced the first ever National Anti-Poverty Strategy in Ireland. Proinsias is also a member of the IIEA and the European Movement. (Appointed 03.04.2013) (Reappointed 21.01.2022)


Saunders Joe Saunders

Board Member

Joe Saunders is Manager at the Irish Local Development Network. He holds 35 years of experience in the community sector in roles as diverse as frontline worker, animator, advocate, trainer, researcher, consultant and manager. (Appointed 22.05.2018) (Reappointed 21.01.2022)


donald-storrie Donald Storrie

Board Member

Donald Storrie is Chief Researcher at the Dublin based EU Agency Eurofound, with coordination responsibility for research. Before joining Eurofound in 2005 he worked primarily in academia on a wide range of issues related to the labour market. His publications include research on employment contracts, migration, health and active labour market and European employment policy. He was previously Director of the Centre for European Labour Market Studies and Research Policy Officer at the Ministry of Employment (both in Sweden). He has a BSc in Mathematics, a PhD in Economics and is Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Gothenburg. (Appointed 28.06.2018) (Reappointed 21.01.2022)


Michelle_OSullivan Michelle O'Sullivan

Board Member

Michelle O'Sullivan is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Limerick Kemmy Business School. Her expertise is primarily on precarious work with particular attention on wage setting and public policy in low wage jobs. She has been an invited speaker at numerous seminars and conferences including the James Connolly Memorial Seminar, the Griffith College Employment Law Forum and at TASC. She is also co-editor of the Irish Journal of Management a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Industrial Relations. (Appointed 04.07.2018)


Collins, Micheal Micheál Collins

Board Member

Micheál Collins is Assistant Professor of Social Policy at School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, at University College Dublin. He was previously a Senior Economist at the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI), as well as a member of the Commission on Taxation (2008-2009) and the Government's Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare (2011-2014). (Appointed 28.08.2018)


paul-sweeney Paul Sweeney

Board Member

Paul Sweeney, former Chief Economist of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, was President of the Statistical and Social Enquiry Society of Ireland, a member of the National Competitiveness Council of Ireland, the National Statistics Board, the ESB, TUAC (at OECD) and other bodies. He has written books on the Irish economy and on public enterprise, including The Celtic Tiger; Ireland’s Economic Miracle Explained and Selling Out: Privatisation in Ireland, chapters in other books and many articles on economics. (Appointed 15.11.2018)


Elaine Stephen 1 Elaine Stephen

Board Member

Elaine Stephen was a Corporate Responsibility Adviser with Business in the Community Ireland from 2007 to 2019. Prior to that she had a career in IT in the public and private sector. She was Director of IBM's Dublin Software Lab and was on the board of F.I.T. for several years. (Appointed 01.04.2020)


Ciaran O'Mara Ciaran O'Mara

Board Member

Ciaran O'Mara is a well regarded employment and equality lawyer being involved in many major cases to Supreme Court and CJEU level throughout his career. He has written extensively on the European aspects of employment and equality law.He has also served as Programme Manager to the Minister for Finance in the 1990s. Ciaran is also a member of the IIEA. (Appointed 01.04.2021)


Keletso Malepe Pic Keletso Malepe

Board Member

Keletso Malepe is a co-founder and a national chapter coordinator for the South African Youth Biodiversity Network. She is a former environmental researcher at University College Dublin and is currently working as part of a sustainability team and involved in ESG sustainability reporting and governance. She holds a first-Class MSc degree in Environmental Resource Management from University College Dublin and an Honours Degree in Geology from University of the Witwatersrand. She has extensive experience in environmental research, Biodiversity policy advocacy, community-based conservation work, climate actions and GIS and Remote Sensing. (Appointed 31.05.2021)


Bernard Harbor 1.PNG Bernard Harbor

Board Member

Bernard Harbor is head of communications with Fórsa trade union and a member of ICTU’s executive council. He is an experienced communications and media relations practitioner with many years’ experience in industrial relations, political, and public service settings. He was Director of Communications and Media for President Michael D Higgins's 2018 re-election campaign, and was a special advisor to Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Alex White between 2014 and 2016. Earlier in his career, he did policy research at Sussex University’s Science Policy Research Unit. (Appointed 20.05.2022)


mathias-urban_002 Prof Mathias Urban

Board Member

Mathias Urban, PhD, is the Desmond Chair of Early Childhood Education and Director of the Early Childhood Research Centre (ECRC) at Dublin City University, Ireland. With 20 years of experience, he focuses on education policy, diversity, and social justice. Mathias was also a Professor at the University of Roehampton, UK. He's a Professor of Pedagogy at the University of Stavanger, Norway, and affiliated with the Center for Educational Policy at George Mason University, USA. Mathias has led international research projects and authored G20/T20 policy briefs, serving on the European Commission's expert working group. He was President of the International Froebel Society from 2016 to 2019. (Appointed 29.09.2023)

TASC Board

  • Mike Jennings
  • Proinsias De Rossa
  • Joe Saunders
  • Donald Storrie
  • Michelle O'Sullivan
  • Micheál Collins
  • Paul Sweeney
  • Elaine Stephen
  • Ciaran O'Mara
  • Keletso Malepe
  • Bernard Harbor
  • Mathias Urban

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