Ireland’s housing magazine
Who’s who Lorcan Sirr
Paddy Smyth Paddy Smyth is a Partner in Fieldfisher LLP’s Real Estate team. He is a recognised expert in commercial property and real estate finance with a particular focus on residential development. Paddy is passionate about the delivery of social and affordable housing in Ireland. He and the team at Fieldfisher regularly act for developers, funders and local authorities in transactions at all stages of the housing delivery process from land acquisition, development funding and construction through to delivery to local authorities and AHBs.
Richard Stowe Richard Stowe is a projects and construction lawyer, heading up the Beauchamps construction team, with over 25 years’ experience in specialist construction practices in Ireland and Australia both in contentious and non-contentious roles. He has had extensive experience advising in relation to a large number of high value infrastructure and construction projects in both jurisdictions. Since returning to Ireland, Richard has been engaged primarily in property development work, particularly in the social and affordable housing sphere. His expertise includes drafting and advising on contracts for building and engineering works at all tiers, contracts for design consultancy services, project/construction management services, FM/OM services, collateral warranty documentation and agreements for all facets of PPP project work, property development and infrastructure provision.
Caroline Timmons is a principal officer at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, where she works in the area of housing policy, including on the development of Housing for All, housing market policy and social housing policy. She previously worked in the Planning Division of the Department. She is a barrister and practiced at the Bar for a number of years, before joining the Attorney General’s Office as Advisory Counsel. She was subsequently a legal advisor at the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. She is a member of the board of the Land Development Agency.
Ireland’s housing magazine
Lorcan Sirr is a Senior Lecturer in Housing at the Technological University Dublin, and Visiting Professor of Housing at the URV, Tarragona, Spain. He has authored, co-authored and edited numerous papers, newspaper articles, research reports, and books including Dublin’s Future: new visions for Ireland’s capital city (Liffey Press: 2011), Renting in Ireland: the public, private and voluntary sectors (IPA: 2014) and Housing in Ireland: the A-Z guide (Orpen Press: 2019). Lorcan has an MA from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, and an MA and PhD in planning and development from the University of Manchester. He is a board member of the Irish Refugee Council and Fire Station Artists’ Studios, and sits on the Research Committee of the Residential Tenancies Board. His next book, Housing in Ireland – Beyond the Markets (IPA) is due for publication in late 2021.
Caroline Timmons
Dave Walsh Dave Walsh was appointed Chairperson of An Bord Pleanála in October 2018. He previously served as Assistant Secretary in the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, with primary responsibility for planning policy (including development and delivery of the National Planning Framework) and housing market and rental policy, with a key focus on coordinated implementation of the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. Prior to this, Dave headed up the Department’s Environment and Climate Division, leading Ireland’s and the EU’s negotiations on climate change during Ireland’s 2013 EU Presidency which ultimately led to the adoption of the Paris UN Climate Change Agreement in 2015.
William Walsh William Walsh is Chief Executive Officer in SEAI, having previously held the position of both Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer. William joined SEAI in 2013. Prior to joining SEAI he worked for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) where he held a number of roles including Assistant Chief Executive Officer and Director. Prior to that he held senior management positions in the private sector. William is a chartered accountant, holds a bachelor’s degree in business studies from Dublin City University and a graduate diploma in strategy, innovation and change from UCD.
Colm Ward Colm Ward is currently Director of Housing, Social and Community Development with South Dublin County Council, having responsibility for social and affordable housing delivery and operations. His career in local government has predominantly been spent in the area of housing but has also included roles in enterprise, procurement and environmental services. He holds a first class masters’ degree in local government management from the National University of Ireland/Institute of Public Administration.
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