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Who We Are


EAPN Ireland

Established in 1990, the European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland is a network of groups and individuals working against poverty. It is the Irish national network of the European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN Europe), which has two decades of experience in lobbying for progressive social change at European level.

EAPN Ireland supports a network of over two hundred local, regional and national organisations and individuals’ committed to tackling poverty through a range of actions including community development, policy analysis and lobbying, campaigning and participation. EAPN Ireland aims to build the capacity of its membership to engage with national and European policy making through training, information dissemination, collective action and networking.

Campaigns that EAPN Ireland has worked on in the last number of years include the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, Ireland in Social Europe: Challenging Perceptions and Changing Realities, the European Minimum Income Campaign, European Parliament Awareness Project, the Social Aspects of the Lisbon Treaty, and campaign to include poverty targets in the European 2020 strategy. EAPN Ireland has also worked with members at local level to retain capacity and fight cutbacks to existing services, and with associates at national level through campaigns like the Poor Can’t Pay, the Equality and Rights Alliance, Is Feider Linn, and the Community Platform.

Staff

Anna Visser,  Director

Anna is Director of EAPN Ireland. Before joining EAPN Ireland in January 2008,  Anna worked as Senior Policy Officer for the European Network against Racism (ENAR) in Brussels.  Anna has worked in policy and development roles in the statutory and NGO sectors at regional, national and international level, in the areas of anti-racism, equality, human rights and conflict resolution.  Anna is a member of the steering committees of the Community Platform and the Equality and Rights Alliance, and a board member of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland.

Paul Ginnell, Policy & Support Worker

Paul is a Community Worker and has been the Policy and Support Worker with EAPN Ireland since 2005. Paul’s role is to support people experiencing poverty and social exclusion and their organisations, many of which are members of EAPN Ireland, to understand and to contribute to policy making in Ireland and the EU. Before coming to EAPN Ireland Paul was Coordinator of an EQUAL Community initiative in Co. Westmeath and before that worked with the Limerick Travellers Development Group and the Irish Traveller Movement. He previously worked in Kenya with an organisation representing people with disabilities.

Paul Gordon,  Policy and Research Assistant

Paul is the Policy and Research Assistant and he is responsible for research on areas of policy development including the progression of policy priorities, drafting press releases and other communications, assisting in organising EAPN Ireland events and meetings, engagement in the work of the social inclusion sector in Ireland, drafting policy briefings, reporting on seminars and events, and attending meetings on behalf of EAPN Ireland. Paul has a BA in International Relations from Dublin City University and also studied Political Science and English Literature at Arizona State University.

Maureen Gondipon,  Administrative Assistant

Maureen is the Administrative Assistant and she is responsible for all administrative aspects of our work; inputting, handling and maintaining financial data in our financial system; responsible for updating and maintaining our EAPN membership database; developing and maintaining necessary filing systems; acts as our Health and Safety Officer  and co-ordinates our calendar activities.  Maureen has an MBA (Aston University, UK), BA (Hons.)Librarianship & Information Studies, (University of North London, UK) and Professional Accounting Technician Ireland (IATI).


Management

EAPN Ireland is controlled by its members through Annual General Meetings, which decide policy and elect a Managing Board. The Board is responsible to the members for the day-to-day management of the organisation EAPN Ireland. European Anti Poverty Network Ireland Ltd, is a company limited by guarantee not having a share capital, registered in Dublin, Ireland with registered company number 214663.

Board members elected in March 2010 are:


Annual reports