Philip Crosby was recently appointed as interim CEO of the Authority. Philip was a civil servant for over 40 years, and has experience in the fields of data analysis, IT, human resources and employee relations, conflict resolution, and strategic planning and development. He was head of Industrial Relations in the Department of Education for almost 10 years, and was also responsible for policy development and reform in the higher education and early childhood education sectors. Before that, Philip was with the Office of the Revenue Commissioners for many years, working in business planning, budget management, performance evaluation and organisational development. Philip was also a trade union representative and advocate for more than 25 years. Labhair Gaeilge leis más fearr leat.

Tara Downes is the Secretary to the Board and the Registrar of the Adoption Authority.Tara commenced her role with the Adoption Authority in March 2018. Prior to taking up this role, Tara was the Deputy Head of Legal in the Child and Family Agency. As Secretary to the Board, Tara provides support and assistance to the Board and advises the Chairperson on all governance matters. Tara ensures that all statutory and regulatory obligations are complied with.

Ross Higgins joined the Authority in 2022 as Director of Information Services and Records. He is responsible for the Authority's post adoption information services, archives, ICT, FOI and data protection functions. Prior to joining the Authority, Ross worked in central banking, public affairs and academia, both in Ireland and internationally. Ross is a qualified archivist, having graduated from University College Dublin (UCD), and is also a certified project manager.

Our Head of Finance, Assurance and Support Services, Catherine Breen has responsibility for financial control, risk management, internal audit, procurement, health and safety and facilities management. Catherine joined the organisation in 2022, previously holding the role of Corporate Services manager. Catherine has almost twenty years experience in the public sector, leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver organisational objectives and enhance service delivery. A lifelong learner, Catherine appreciates the value of ongoing professional development, achieving a Masters in Leadership and Strategy with the Institute of Public Administration in 2018.

As Principal Social Worker for the Adoption Authority of Ireland, Darren has responsibility for the leadership of the social work services in the Authority, including policy and practice development ensuring that the social work services are delivered in line with legislation and high quality social work practice. Prior to joining the Authority, Darren worked with the Probation Service as a Senior Probation Officer in the Service’s victim services and young people teams, respectively. Prior to his work in the Probation Service, Darren worked in the area of children with complex disabilities and palliative care needs, and as a substance misuse social worker.

Research Officer

Dr. Judy Lovett joined the Adoption Authority in 2019 and was appointed to the SMT in May 2023. She was awarded a PhD in Psychology from TCD in 2012, and holds a postgraduate diploma in statistics. Her PhD thesis explored the experiences of non-family domestic adoption for young adults in Ireland. Judy has presented her work on adoption at a variety of international conferences and has published in a number of academic journals, including Adoption and Fostering. Prior to joining the Authority, Judy worked at the UCD Geary Institute, the Atlantic Philanthropies  and Foróige, all in the area of disadvantaged children and youth.