Meet Our Management Team

Margaret McCabe

Chief Executive Officer

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Magaret McCabe
Margaret McCabe is the Chief Executive of the Public Appointments Service (PAS), a position she took up on 1 January 2023. In this role, Margaret is the Accounting Officer for the Vote of the PAS. She is answerable to the Board for the effective leadership, management and control of the administration and business of the Public Appointments Service. As Chief Executive she has responsibility for the development and implementation of strategy. This includes keeping abreast of developments in the recruitment industry and achieving greater efficiencies to maximise the quality and range of services provided for client organisations and candidates within available resources. Margaret is also guardian of the values and reputation of the organisation.

A career civil servant Margaret has extensive experience in the area of Recruitment & Selection. Prior to becoming Chief Executive, she was Chief Operations Officer and she previously held the position of Head of Recruitment & Selection, overseeing recruitment to the civil service, local government, An Garda Síochána and the Health Service Executive in the Public Appointments Service. Margaret holds a Masters in HR and a Higher Diploma from the IPA and she is a graduate of Common Purpose.

A proud Leitrim woman, Margaret attended Marymount College (post primary school) in Carrick on Shannon, and joined the civil service when she left school. Her first post was as a clerical assistant. She has since worked her way to the top of the Public Appointments Service becoming the first internal Chief Executive Officer in the organisation in 22 years.

A champion of a strong public sector ethos, Margaret is committed to a public service that is equal, diverse and inclusive.


Michelle Noone

Head of Senior & Executive Recruitment

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Using executive search methodologies to identify high quality candidates for Senior Executive & Board level appointments. Responsible for the provision of an open, efficient, and effective gateway and process to identify top quality people for consideration by Ministers for appointment to State Boards.

Michelle Noone



Niall Leavy

Head of Market Engagement

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As Head of Market Engagement, and in support of our public service recruitment service offerings to public sector organisations and to candidates, I oversee the development and positioning of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Marketing & Communications.

Niall Leavy



Sandra Cairns

Head of Talent Acquisition for the Civil Service

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Responsible for driving best practices in recruitment and selection to identify high quality candidates for diverse roles across the Civil Service. Ensuring consistently high standards of service delivery to enable a responsive recruitment model which takes into account the evolving requirements of clients and candidates in a competitive environment.

Sandra Cairns



Catherine Dobbins

Head of Corporate Services

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Responsible for corporate services, including People and Culture, Finance, and Compliance & Quality Assurance (which incorporates Formal Reviews under the CPSA Codes of Practice and all corporate governance functions).

Catherine Dobbins



Aoife Lyons

Senior Psychologist - Assessment Services

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Putting effective, efficient, and best practice assessment measures in place to select the best possible candidates for our clients.

Aoife Lyons



Rosemarie O'Mahony

Head of Digital Transformation, Strategy & Innovation

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Overseeing strategy execution so that the Public Appointments Service delivers on our mission and vision and is positioned to respond to challenges and effectively harness opportunities to enhance our services. Overseeing the delivery of the organisation’s Digital Transformation Programme to future-proof our IT solutions and services, improve organisational performance, and position the Public Appointments Service as a leader in digital recruitment.

Rosemarie O'Mahony



Sinead Coleman

Head of Talent Acquisition for the Public Service

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Sinéad Coleman is the Head of Talent Acquisition for the Public Service, a position she took up in November 2022. In this role, Sinéad ensures that appropriate structures, policies, and procedures are in place to meet the Public Appointment Service's Recruitment and Selection responsibilities across the Public Service.



Eimear O’Connor

Head of Recruitment Operations & Service Delivery

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Meet our Board

The Current Board of PAS is as follows:

  • Mr. Tom Moran,
    Chairperson
  • Dr. Eddie Molloy,
    Independent Consultant
  • Ms. Anne Marie Taylor,
    HR Consultant
  • Ms. Mary Connaughton
    CIPD Ireland Director
  • Ms. Yvonne Cooke,
    Acting Executive Director of Human Resources and People Development, An Garda Síochána
  • Ms. Fiona Quinn,
    Assistant Secretary, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
  • Ms. Margaret McCabe,
    CEO, Public Appointments Service
  • Mr Colin Menton,
    Assistant Secretary, Department of Pubic Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
  • Ms Anne Marie Hoey,
    National Director HR, HSE