Jillian Turnhout

Career

She was also Secretary General of the ECB-BEC (predecessor to the European Youth Forum) and is the former chief executive of the Children"s Rights Alliance. Van Turnhout was a member and Vice-President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). She was first nominated in 1998 by the Community and Voluntary Pillar on behalf of the NYCI to the EESC and was appointed by the Government.

Foreign a two-year period between 2006 and 2008, she was Vice-President where she was involved in Social Affairs, External Relations and Communications.

Representing the EESC, she was on the Steering Group of the European Union Forum on the Rights of the Child and the European Union-China Round Table. In May 2011, she was nominated by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny to the 24th Seanad.

Achievements

• She was previously awarded the "Freedom of Killarney" in County Kerry and in September 2010, van Turnhout won the Newstalk Women Mean Business Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Politics

She is married to Michael van Turnhout who works in the private sector and is a member of Fine Gael.

Membership

She has previously been Chief Commissioner of the Irish Girl Guides (IGG). President of the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) and is a member of the National Youth Work Advisory Committee. While a Senator, Van Turnhout undertakes a number of volunteer roles including Chair of Early Childhood Ireland.

Vice Chairperson of the European Movement Ireland.

A Board member of Women for Election. And a Director of the Irish Girl Guides Trust Corporation Limited.

He previously served as constituency chairperson for Dublin South and is a former member of their Executive Council.