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SVHPR Committee

The Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Committee is in place since 2019 (formerly Consent Framework Implementation Working Group).

The SVH Prevention and Response Committee includes broad representation from within the university, comprising of staff and student representatives and our external partner the Galway Rape Crisis Centre. This wide representation is essential in terms of the ability to affect change and implement actions within different functions and units across the university. 

We issue a newsletter bulletin following the committee meetings. It is expected committee members will disseminate the information across the organisation. Please see newsletters here: 

The Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Committee  The Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Committee  The Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Committee

The Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Committee  The Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Committee  The Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Committee

The Committee meets five times per academic year. The committee membership (as of January 2026 is detailed below).

Dr Helen Maher (Co-Chair) Vice President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Prof Pádraig Mac Neela (Co-Chair) Head of School of Psychology
Rebecca Connolly SVH Prevention & Response Coordinator
Niamh Kavanagh SVH Prevention & Response Manager
Aoife Cooke Head of EDI
Sinéad Clarke Nominee of the Academic Secretary
Lorraine (Lorrie) Hayman  PhD candidate, Centre for Global Women's Studies. 
Josephine Hynes Director of Human Resources
Sinéad Wynne HR Employee Relations manager
Prof Dónal Leech Dean of Postgraduate studies
Gemma MacNally Clinical & Therapeutic Lead, Active* Consent
Clarissa DiSantis Education and Training Lead, Active* Consent
Dan Eastop Student Counselling
Aisling Battersby Director of Student Counselling
Prof Ciara Meehan Dean of Students
Dr Elizabeth Tilley IFUT Representative
Dr Tina-Karen Pusse International Staff Network representative
Dr Declan Coogan Representing the LGBTQ+ Staff Network 
Mary Dempsey Vice-Dean EDI - CSE
Dr Deirdre Curran Vice-Dean EDI - CBPPL
Dr Michael Conall Dennedy Vice-Dean EDI - CMNHS
Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley  Vice-Dean EDI - CASSCS
Orla Cullinane Lecturer, Associate Head of Student Welfare and Co-chair of Shannon EDI
Tanja Schafer
Clubs Participation & Development Officer
Sport & Physical Wellbeing Unit
Róisín Nolan Committee secretary
Alexandra Chueiri Senior Technical Officer
Maisie Hall Student's Union President
Paddy Marnane Student's Union VP & Welfare Officer
Seán de Búrca Student's Union Education Officer
Rachel Áine Ní Mharaschéil  Vice President for Gaeilge
Lisa Mc Cormack Interim Director of Student Services 
Hugh Rodgers Garda Liaison Officer

The Vice President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Dr Helen Maher and the Head of School of Psychology, Dr. Pádraig MacNeela have co-chaired the Consent Framework Implementation Working Group since 2019. In April 2022, the name of the working group changed to the Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Committee to reflect sectoral norms and the wider remit regarding sexual violence and harassment within this group.

The SVH Prevention and Response Committee includes broad representation from within the university, comprising of staff and student representatives and our external partner the Galway Rape Crisis Centre. This wide representation is essential in terms of the ability to affect change and implement actions within different functions and units across the university.