ELI Advisory Committees

NCI takes full responsibility for the financial, management, contractual, reporting and governance requirements of ELI. It has proactively embraced the highest standards of corporate governance including the Statement for Guiding Principles for Fundraising, Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015, Child Safeguarding Statement, GDPR and The Governance Code. NCI does not charge any central overheads to ELI and has absorbed historical deficits between the funding available and the cost of delivering ELI programmes and services. The generous commitment of Fr. Leonard Moloney S.J., Chairperson of NCI’s Governing Body; Gina Quin, President of NCI; and other members of NCI’s Governing Body and Executive Board has been critical to the success of ELI in improving outcomes for children and young people in the area. Membership in NCI’s Governing Body is listed below.

NCI Governance and Reports

ELI is a discreet centre within NCI with its own dedicated staff and Advisory Committees.  The leadership and expertise shown by Frank Ryan, Chairperson of the ELI Advisory Committee and ABC Steering Group; Dan O’Connor, Chairperson of the ELI Development Committee; Mary Doyle, Chairperson of National Steering Group and the other members of the ELI Advisory Committee, ABC Steering Group, Research and Development Committees have been invaluable in the development of ELI.  We thank them for their continued advice, guidance and support. More information is available in ELI’s End of Year Report 

End of Year Report 2021-2022


ELI’s Advisory Committee as of June 2022 is set out below:
  • Chairperson - Frank Ryan, Chairman IDA
  • Gina Quin, President NCI
  • Fr. Kevin O'Higgins S.J., NCI Governing Body
  • Ms Sheila Nunan, NCI Governing Body 
  • Dr Josephine Bleach, Director of Early Learning Initiative 
  • Mr Dan O'Connor, Chair of ELI's Development Committee
  • Mr Joe O’Reilly, Founder and Executive Chairman of Chartered Land
  • Mr Sean Reilly, Executive Chairman Alcove Properties 
  • Ms Mary Doyle, ELI Advisory Committee
  • Tom O'Connor, ELI Advisory Committee 
  • Brian Hatton, ELI Advisory Committee
 ABC Steering Group as of June 2022 is set out below: 

  • Chairperson, Frank Ryan - Chairperson ELI Advisory Committee
  • Donnchadh Ó Madagáin, NCI Finance Director 
  • Dan O'Connor, Chair of ELI’s Development Committee 
  • Niall Heneghan, Principal 
  • Dr Josephine Bleach, Director of Early Learning Initiative 
  • Catriona Flood, ELI Assistant Director Dublin Inner City Programmes
  • John Peelo, Tusla Northside Representative 
  • Denise Hevey, Early Years Representative 
  • Lorraine Doherty, Tusla Southside Representative 
  • Angela Nolan, Assistant Director of Public Health Nursing. PHN Representative. 
  • Alison McCormack, Community Representative 
  • Dara Terry, Voluntary Sector Representative 
  • Denise McDonnell, Community Representative 
  • Geraldine Duff, Senior Speech and Language Therapist
ELI National Steering Group as of June 2022 is set out below:
  • Chairperson - Mary Doyle, ELI Advisory Committee
  • Mr Dan O'Connor, Non-Executive, Glanbia
  • Ms Elaine McHugh, Lecturer in Early Childhood Education and Care, GMIT Mayo
  • Mr Jimmy Hill, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Research, NCI
  • Dr Josephine Bleach, Director of Early Learning Initiative 
  • Ms Lána Cummins, Assistant Director, Early Learning Initiative
  • Ms Margaret Kernan, Lecturer in Education at Hibernia College
ELI Development Group as of June 2022  is set out below: 

  • Chairperson – Mr Dan O’Connor, Non-Executive Director Glanbia 
  • Mr Sean Reilly, Executive Chairman Alcove Properties •
  • Ms Sandra Foley, Managing Director, State Street International (Ireland) Ltd. 
  • Mr Joe O’Reilly, Founder and Executive Chairman of Chartered Land
  • Mr Declan Quilligan, Managing Director Citco Fund Services (Ireland) Ltd.
  • Mr Michael Hartwell, Partner, Deloitte 
  • Dr Josephine Bleach, Director of Early Learning Initiative 
  • Ms Lána Cummins, Assistant Director, Early Learning Initiative
  • Ms Mary Anne Stokes - ELI Development and Volunteering Officer
  • Ms Deirdre Giblin, Director of Development and External Engagement NCI