Team Members
Find out moreBoard Members
Fiona McCausland
Goretti Horgan
Goretti Horgan is a Senior Lecturer in social policy at Ulster University. She is Director of ARK’s Policy Unit; ARK is a partnership between Queen’s and Ulster Universities that aims to promote evidence-based policy making and to help researchers, policy-makers and the wider public understand society and politics. She researches and writes about reproductive justice, including abortion, child and family poverty, disability, and children’s and women’s rights generally. Goretti was appointed by the Minister for Communities to the Anti-Poverty Strategy Expert Advisory Panel, the Panel’s report was published by the Department in March 2021. She is a member of Board of Directors of the Northern Ireland Anti Poverty Network, and a founding member of Alliance for Choice Derry.
Ciara Fitzpatrick
Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick is a lecturer and researcher at Ulster University School of Law. Her research expertise is the social security system and issues associated with it namely, poverty, destitution, and the gendered impacts of socio-economic disadvantage. Ciara is academic adviser to the Cliff Edge Coalition which is campaigning for a strengthened welfare reform mitigation package, by resolving the five-week wait for UC, mitigating the two-child limit and providing support for private renters. Ciara is an active anti-poverty campaigner and frequent contributor to civic debate, government processes and on the media.
@c_fitz_on Twitter
Dara Keeve
Dara is a Research and Campaigns Worker with the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ). As part of her role, she is involved in a number of projects such as CAJ’s policing and legacy projects and promoting equality. Dara also helps to co-ordinate the Equality Coalition, an umbrella group of over 100 organisations that aims to advance equality in Northern Ireland.
Previously to her role with CAJ, Dara worked as an Account Executive in a public affairs organisation. She also teaches evening Irish classes in an Droichead, Belfast. Dara has a B.A. in French and Irish from Queen’s University Belfast and an LLM in Human Rights Law with Distinction, also from Queen’s.
Will Haire
Will worked in the NI Civil Service from 1980-2015, originally focusing on economic development, Fair Employment and anti-discrimination legislation, as well as being seconded to Brussels to work on the ESF and ERDF. With devolution, Will moved to OFMDFM, worked on the Programme for Government and became a Permanent Secretary. He went on to lead work in the Departments of Employment and Learning, Education and from 2010 to 2015 led the DSD. On retirement, he chaired the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust.
Caoímhe McNeill
Caoímhe is a Policy and Bargaining Organiser in UNISON, a leading trade union in Northern Ireland (NI), representing over 46,000 members.
UNISON membership includes public service workers in health and social care; education and higher education services; local government; youth justice; private companies providing public services; and the community and voluntary sector. 84% of their membership in Northern Ireland are women.
Caoímhe has a background in Student politics as well as specialising in Welfare Reform representation before joining UNISON in August 2021.
Amanda Doherty
Amanda Doherty, is a senior communications professional with extensive experience in crisis communications, grant-making and the Community and Voluntary sector in Northern Ireland and across the UK. Trained as a journalist, Amanda brings over 25 years of senior leadership in communications, engagement, grant-making, and policy development, including her role as Senior Head of Communications and Engagement at The National Lottery Community Fund.
She now works as a consultant and specialises in strategic communications, crisis management, and stakeholder engagement, having successfully led high-impact National Lottery investments and chaired the Funders Forum for Northern Ireland. Amanda’s experience is complemented by her ability to manage sensitive issues and provide expert advice to senior stakeholders in the public and VCSE sectors.
She is currently a member of the Board of Directors for St Columb’s Hall Trust and is also a member of the Acorn Fund Giving Circle which is a group of North West women who pool personal donations and make grants every year in the local community.
Staff
Becca Bor
Development Coordinator
Becca Bor is the Development Coordinator for NIAPN. She has a background in education, community development, participatory practices, trade union activism and campaigning for social change. Originally from Boston, she has been living and working in Derry since 2014.
becca@niapn.org