ICI Staff

Hilkka is a fully qualified lawyer in both Ireland and Germany.  She is a graduate of law of the University of Hamburg, has a post graduate diploma in employment law from UCD and a Certificate in Judicial Review from the Law Society of Ireland.  She was admitted to the roll of solicitors by the Law Society of Ireland in 2003.  Hilkka is a member of the European Immigration Lawyers’ Network and the Immigration Law Practitioners Association and continues to work as a trainer and international legal consultant with the IOM and Council of Europe. Hilkka is also a member of the Dublin Solicitors' Bar Association Civil Litigation Committee.

Ailbhe has worked as Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer of the Immigrant Council of Ireland since February, 2004.  Ailbhe has a B.A. in Italian and Greek and Roman Civilisation and an M.A. in Women’s Studies, both from University College Dublin.  Ailbhe originally trained as a solicitor, however, she has worked in the NGO sector since 2002, when she took up a post as Administrator to the Director of Women’s Aid.

Denise became Chief Executive Officer of the Immigrant Council of Ireland in 2003.  Before that, she was Director of Women’s Aid.  In both roles, she has been involved in representation at local, national and international levels on social justice issues.  Denise has been appointed to a number of governmental bodies, including the Task Force on Violence against Women, the Women’s Health Council, the Advisory Research Committee of the Crime Council and the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism.  Denise had also been appointed the Irish expert at the European Women's Lobby's Observatory on Violence Against Women.  Denise’s background is in communications and organisational development, in the commercial, statutory and voluntary sectors.

Catherine is a graduate of UCD, the University of Edinburgh and the Honourable Society of the Kings Inns.  Catherine is a qualified barrister and was called to the Bar in 2000.  Catherine previously lectured in European Law at the University of Limerick before heading the immigration department of Terence Lyons and Co, Solicitors, in Dublin.  She has extensive practical experience in advising clients on immigration issues arising under domestic, EC and international legislation.

Ruth graduated from the Queensland Institute of Technology in 1988 with a Bachelor of Business – Communication, majoring in journalism.  She worked as a journalist for several newspapers in Queensland, Australia.  From 1998 to 2005, she was the Senior Media Advisor to a number of Queensland State Government Cabinet Ministers, including a former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and a former Minister for Health. In 2005-06, she worked freelance in London, before moving to Dublin in 2007.

Geraldine joined the ICI in 2001. Geraldine was previously the Director of the Marian English Language College in Dublin for many years, welcoming over 22,000 foreign students to Ireland to learn English and managing a large staff. During this time, Geraldine served on various committees such as ACELS with the Department of Education. Her educational background includes Commerce & Business Studies in UCD and Paris.

Gillian joined the Immigrant Council of Ireland in 2003 after a number of years’ experience in the NGO sector.  She was the manager of the Women’s Aid National Freephone Helpline for four years and worked in the training department of Women’s Aid for a further two years before joining the ICI.  Gillian delivers training courses to a variety of statutory and voluntary agencies on Irish immigration policy.

Brian studied at NUI Galway, where he read a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, Sociology and Politics.  He attained his Master of Arts in Globalisation from DCU.  Brian was a facilitator on a programme for educators from the Middle East and North Africa at the Irish Institute in Boston College, Massachusetts.  While there, he also worked as a facilitator on the Wider Horizons programme which brought together disadvantaged young people from Northern Ireland.  Brian worked as a volunteer information worker with a community development NGO working to address health inequalities among ethnic minorities in Dublin’s north inner city, before joining the ICI in 2004.  In addition to his work with the ICI, Brian is also a board member of the City Centre (Dublin) Citizens Information Service.

Mado joined the Immigrant Council of Ireland in 2007.  She works three days a week as housekeeper.  Before joining the ICI, Mado trained as an airline cabin crew member.  She is currently studying childcare at Blanchardstown IT, as well as continuing her English language studies.

Fidèle is originally from Rwanda. He joined the Immigrant Council of Ireland in October 2002. Currently he is working as Research and Integration Officer and is a member of the Middle Management Team. He has been managing a number of integration projects including: the Mentoring Programme, One-Stop-Shop, Pathways to Parental Leadership and Pathways to Work. Before joining the ICI, Fidèle worked in community development with Canal Communities Partnership and was a researcher with the African Cultural Project.  Prior to migrating to Ireland in 1995, he was a secondary school teacher, worked in community development and in relief and emergency in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is a founding member of the Africa Centre and sits on advisory committees of a number of public and civil society organisations. He is a regular contributor to debates on immigration and integration at national and European levels.  Fidèle is a fellow with the Transatlantic Forum on Migration and Integration.  March 2010, he successfully defended his doctoral thesis titled: (New) Migrant Political Entrepreneurs: Overcoming Isolation and Exclusion through Creative Resistance in Ireland at University College Dublin.

Ruth joined the Immigrant Council of Ireland as an Information Officer in 2006.  She is now a trainee solicitor with the ICI, providing information to the Law Centre’s clients and supporting the work of the ICI’s Senior Solicitor and Senior Legal Advisor.  Prior to joining the ICI, Ruth volunteered with the Law Centre (NI), the Irish Refugee Council and UNHCR. Ruth studied Arabic and Italian at UCD and has a European Masters in Human Rights and Democratisation from the European Inter-University Centre in Venice.

Máire received her Masters Degree in Development Studies from the Development Studies Centre, Kimmage Manor, in 2005.  Máire has worked predominantly in the homeless services sector in Dublin, having worked with Focus Ireland and The Simon Community.  She also worked in the youth and community sector in a rural community in the north-west of Nicaragua.

Gwen joined the Immigrant Council of Ireland in 2007 as a part-time Accounts Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer.  Before joining the ICI, Gwen worked in the Pfizer Treasury Centre in Dublin for three years and the financial sector in London for eight years prior to that.  Gwen graduated from UCD with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1995.

Originally from Nigeria, Andrew holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B), Barrister at Law degree (B.L.) and a Master of Laws (LL.M) from the University of Lagos, with specialisation in International Jurisprudence and human rights law.  He also holds a first class honours certificate in Community Development and Leadership from NUI Maynooth.  Before joining the ICI, Andrew was the Legal and Information Officer at Tallaght Intercultural Action and his career spans private legal practice, information provision, protection of human rights and community development.

Nusha was appointed Anti-Trafficking Project Coordinator in 2007.  She joined the ICI in 2004, firstly in the Communications Department, then as an Information Officer consulting and supporting migrants. In addition to her present work as the Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, Nusha participates in the European Women Lobby’s project mapping the needs of migrant women in Europe and enhancing their participation at EU level. Nusha was the first migrant woman elected to the Executive Board of the National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI) and served from June 2008 until June 2010.  She is a member of the National Observatory for Violence Against Women in Ireland. Nusha holds a Masters of Science Degree in Engineering from the Technical University of Varna, Bulgaria and a Masters of Arts Degree in Intercultural Studies from DCU.

After volunteering with the Immigrant Council of Ireland, Emilia began working as a full-time Information and Support Officer in 2007.  Emilia has a degree in Medico-Social Work from Post Secondary Carol Davila, Bistrita, Romania.  She is currently studying law at DIT.

Glenna joined the ICI in Nov 2004 as a volunteer in the Information Service and in September 2009 she took up a part-time position working in the service as an Information Officer. Glenna studied French in L’Universite de la Sorbonne Paris and has a degree in International Relations from the American College Dublin.