FASD Ireland Advisory Board
Kate FitzHerbert
Chair of Advisory Board
Kate has been a Speech and Language Therapist for 12 years. She completed her undergraduate degree in New Media and English from the University of Limerick, her Higher Diploma in Linguistics from University College Dublin and her Master’s of Science Degree in Speech and Language Therapy from the University of Essex.
Kate’s entire career has been spent working with children with disabilities including time in Vancouver, Canada, where she worked in a private clinic as part of a multidisciplinary team which specialised in diagnosing and supporting children and adults with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Kate is currently employed by Enable Ireland and is working as a Senior Speech and Language on the Children’s Disability Network Team in Kilkenny. Kate is passionate about family centred practice, taking a holistic approach to invention and improving quality of life for children and their families.
Michelle McMahon
Educational Psychologist
Michelle has been an Educational Psychologist for the past ten years.
Michelle currently works in the public sector in Galway. Michelle gained her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Trinity College Dublin, a Master’s degree in Atypical Child Development and a Doctorate in Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology both from Queen’s University Belfast.
Michelle is a Chartered Psychologist with the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI).
Michelle is interested in how best to support children and young people who have FASD in the school setting. She is also keenly interested in nurture, attachment and trauma-informed practices.
Michelle is a mother to two busy toddlers, an avid reader and a proud Cavan woman.
Louis Mulqueen
Education
Louis has thirty-seven years’ experience in educational settings.
A past student of St. Flannan’s College, Ennis, he went on to study Health and Physical Education and Geography at the University of Limerick, qualifying with 1st Class Honours.
Louis taught PE and Geography in St Caimin’s Community School in Shannon for twenty-three years. Concurrently he lectured in the University of Limerick in the areas of Sociology, Geography and Pedagogy.
He has held the position of Principal in Rice College, Ennis since 2008. He has been continually endorsed for his qualities in the areas of education, public speaking, curriculum development, leadership and management.
Louis is well known in sporting circles where his leadership, mentoring and coaching skills have proven highly successful in the Clare, Galway and Cork club and inter-county hurling world.
Mark Coote
Finance
Mark is a Chartered Certified Accountant and Director of Coote & Co Accountants based in Ennis, County Clare.
Mark began his career in Dublin working for Crowe and moved to Australia in 2011 where he was an audit manager for PKF Perth for 8 years. Upon his return in 2019 he joined Coote & Co Accountants, an established practice his father Declan commenced in 1995.
Mark is passionate about ensuring client needs are met and is deadline oriented. Mark's experience encompasses a wide range of sectors including but not limited to not-for-profit organisations and for-profit organisations in the retail, hospitality, agricultural, aeronautical and construction sectors.
Outside of the business world Mark is kept busy by his 2 children and enjoys hurling, golf and is a member of local GAA club Eire Og.
Helen Coyle
Parent/Carer of a person living with FASD
Helen is a Mother of 4 and a foster carer, and has been living with and researching FASD for 11 years, attending regular training with TUSLA and the Irish Foster Carer Association.
Helen previously spent 3 years as Manager of Tralee Threshold branch working with homeless and refugee residents as well as being a volunteer in Tralee and Mullingar teaching adult literacy.
Helen said, “I am really interested in proper research and diagnostic protocols being available in Ireland for FASD. I would like the judicial system to recognise the characteristics of the disorder and make decisions based on this accordingly.”
“I am hoping global research can be brought to and be demonstrated to the people of Ireland. Most of all, I wish to find a way to take away and shame, stigma or judgement from a parent who used alcohol during pregnancy, as transparency is the only way to get a child with FASD the correct diagnosis, and with that, when fully recognised, the correct help to navigate a full adult life.”
Al Coates
Social Worker
Al and his wife Paula adopted three children in 1999 and went on to be Foster Carers for a local authority for two children. They went on to adopt them in 2008 and their sibling in 2013. Their children are now 27, 25, 24, 16, 15 and 9.
Al left his career in construction in 2008 to be a stay-at-home parent and subsequently trained to be a social worker qualifying in 2013. Since then Al has worked within Fostering and moved to be an Independent Social Worker in 2015 specialising in fostering, supporting adoptive parents and managing challenging and aggressive behaviour.
Al has also campaigned to raise issues in relation to adoption and continuously worked with the Department of Education (DfE) in England since 2015 in various voluntary roles. Al also trains across the sector including police forces, youth justice, education, social care and families in a broad range of associated issues and is an NVR advanced practitioner.
Since qualifying Al has also been an active blogger and is the founder and co-host of “The A&F Podcast”
Ruth Rabét
Accessibility Advisor
Ruth is the Business Director at the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower in the UK and has worked there for 4 years.
Previously, she worked in aviation for 35 years at both London Gatwick and London Heathrow airports.
In the final 5 years in aviation, Ruth was Head of Assisted Services at Gatwick Airport.
In this role Ruth and her colleagues worked with a number of local charities and non-profit organisations to ensure that the airport worked to beome more inclusive and accesible.
That work contributed to the development of the Sunflower Lanyard, now known as the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.
Ruth is married and has two grown children and is a true advocate for people with all types of disabilities.
Aliy Brown
Parent/Carer of a person living with FASD
Aliy is mum to three young people, all have a history of prenatal alcohol exposure; alongside early childhood trauma and disrupted attachments having been care experienced.
Aliy has a BA Honours in Social Policy, and is a Chartered Manager, with a wealth of lived experience both in the work place and through life’s ups and downs.
Aliy has been parenting and working within the field of FASD for the last 11 years. Until September 2022 she was the FASD Project Manager and FASD Lead for Adoption UK, having set up and established the FASD service for parents/carers and professionals supporting families - FASD Hub Scotland - funded by the Scottish Government and run by Adoption UK.
She has a background in project management having worked previously for charities both in the UK and overseas
Married for more than 20 years in her free time, she enjoys many creative craft activities including sewing, hand spinning and knitting. Aliy describes herself as an FASD Advocate an #ExpertByExperience.
Vacancy
Person living with FASD
We are also delighted to have the time, ear, patience and experience of even more amazing volunteers
Professor Raja Mukherjee
Expert Medical Advisor
Professor Mukherjee is an Adult Learning Disability Consultant Psychiatrist for Surrey and Border’s Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in the UK, with interest in the management of developmental disorders across the lifespan.
In September 2009 Raja launched the first NHS based specialist Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders behavioural clinic completing his PhD on the subject of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome in 2014.
He acted as an invited advisor to the British Medical Association (BMA) board of science, the Department of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) all related to FASD.
Raja is a member of The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) quality standards group for FASD. He is currently the UK representative to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored initiative to consider the research criteria for FASD.
He is currently Clinical Lead for Adult neurodevelopmental services provided by Surrey and Borders including Adult ASD and ADHD services across Surrey, Hampshire and Portsmouth. He is an executive committee member of the RCPsych SIG on neurodevelopmental disorders.
Raja is Honorary Professor at the University of Salford.
Rob O'Connell
FASD - What's da Craic Podcast co-host
Rob joined FASD Ireland as part of his University studies in January 2023. He was a 2nd year Arts student at University of Limerick, studying Geography and Linguistics - and also has an interest in Pyschology. Rob was responsible for developing the FASD Hub for Ireland, which provides support, advice and signposting to services for anybody living, caring or working with FASD.
After joining the team, Rob said "I knew that drinking through pregnancy can cause problems. But I was so unaware of the extent until I got the excellent training from the team. Being Irish, I am fully aware of the drinking culture that surrounds us. I think it is really important that we raise awareness and educate people about FASD. I am really looking forward to being a part of the team and making a difference!"
Rob is from a small town in North Clare. In his spare time he enjoys sport and plays Rugby with Ennis RFC in the winter, and Gaelic Football with St. Breckans in the summer.
Rob enjoyed his time with FASD Ireland so much that once his placement was complete, he agreed to continue being a co-host and contributor to FASD - What's da Craic on a voluntary basis.
