Jillian van Turnhout

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Jillian van Turnhout
Senator
In office
20 May 2011 – April 2016
ConstituencyNominated by the Taoiseach
Personal details
Born
Jillian Hassett

(1968-03-29) 29 March 1968 (age 56)
Dublin, Ireland
NationalityIrish[1]
Political partyIndependent
SpouseMichael van Turnhout
Websitejillianvanturnhout.ie

Jillian van Turnhout (née Hassett; born 29 March 1968) is an Irish children's rights advocate and served as an independent member of Seanad Éireann from 2011 to 2016.[2]

Politics[edit]

Van Turnhout was nominated by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny to the 24th Seanad in May 2011.[3][4] She stepped down from her role as Chief Executive of the Children's Rights Alliance,[5] and served as Leader of the Independent Group (Taoiseach Nominees), member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children,[6] and Chair of the Oireachtas Children's Future Health Group until the conclusion of the 24th Seanad in April 2016.[7]

Her areas of focus during her tenure included: initiating the ban on the corporal punishment of children;[8] campaigning against the holding of child beauty pageants in Ireland;[9] developing strategies to tackle online child sexual abuse material (CSAM);[10] children in Direct Provision,[11] transgender children;[12] children in conflict with the law,[13] early childhood education and care;[14] protecting children's health from tobacco smoke;[15] childhood obesity; housing and homelessness;[16] neuro-rehabilitation services and end of life care,[17] in addition to alcohol misuse,[18] alcohol related harm and in her opposition to any alcohol industry involvement in public health campaigns,[19] and education space.[20]

Europe[edit]

At a European level, she was elected and employed as Secretary General of the European Coordination Bureau (ECB-BEC) from 1993 to 1996 and was based in Brussels, Belgium. In this role, she was one of the co-founders of the European Youth Forum in 1996. Van Turnhout was appointed by the Government to be a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) from 1998 to 2011. On each of the four occasions that she was appointed, she was nominated by the Community and Voluntary Pillar on behalf of the NYCI and then the Children's Rights Alliance, where she was involved in Social Affairs, External Relations and Communications.

She represented the EESC on the EU-China Round Table for six years,[21] and on the Steering Group of the EU Forum on the Rights of the Child. Between 2006 and 2008, Van Turnhout was elected to the position of Vice President of the EESC – only the second time in the 50-year history of the organisation that an Irish person was part of the Presidency team.

Other work[edit]

Van Turnhout is involved with a number of organisations. She is Chair of Early Childhood Ireland; Chair of Children in Hospital Ireland; Vice Chair of European Movement Ireland;[22] former board member of Women for Election;[23] and former Chief Commissioner of the Irish Girl Guides (IGG). Van Turnhout is a former president of the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI); former member of the National Youth Work Advisory Committee; former member of the National Children's Advisory Council; former member of the Management Committee of the National Economic and Social Forum (NESF); and a former Council member of Gaisce – The President's Award.

Awards[edit]

She was awarded the 'Freedom of Killarney' in County Kerry in September 2010, and in the same year won the Newstalk Women Mean Business Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award for her innovative work in the Children's Rights Alliance.[24] In 2015, Van Turnhout was awarded TV3's Tonight Show Politician of the Year.[25]

She was also named Senator of the Year by Miriam Lord, writer and columnist with The Irish Times, who said “Van Turnhout's work in the area of child protection puts her in a select band of parliamentarians who aren't living reminders of why the Seanad should have been abolished when we had the chance.”[26] In recognition for her work in Europe, Van Turnhout was appointed Honorary President of the Europa Society in University College Cork for 2016–2017.

Personal life[edit]

She is married to Michael van Turnhout who works in the private sector and is a member of Fine Gael. He previously served as constituency chairperson for Dublin South and is a former member of their Executive Council.[27]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Family History – Corporate Governance & Public affairs consultancy". Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Jillian van Turnhout". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  3. ^ Edwards, Elaine (20 May 2011). "McAleese appointed to Seanad". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Jillian van Turnhout". Elections Ireland. Archived from the original on 18 October 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  5. ^ "Staff". Children's Rights Alliance. 9 November 2011. Archived from the original on 7 September 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Membership, Houses of the Oireachtas". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Oireachtas group to tackle childhood obesity". Irish Examiner. 9 July 2015. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  8. ^ Jillian van Turnhout (11 November 2015). "Press Statement: Children First Bill: Calls time on physical punishment of children | Senator Jillian van Turnhout". Jillianvanturnhout.ie. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  9. ^ Jillian van Turnhout (15 May 2014). "Senator van Turnhout tables motion condemning Child Beauty Pageants in Ireland | Senator Jillian van Turnhout". Jillianvanturnhout.ie. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  10. ^ Jillian van Turnhout (18 September 2013). "Report on Effective Strategies to Tackle Online Child Abuse Material | Senator Jillian van Turnhout". Jillianvanturnhout.ie. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  11. ^ GuestPost (23 April 2013). "The Politics of Direct Provision – Human Rights in Ireland". Humanrights.ie. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  12. ^ Jillian Van Turnhout (2 February 2015). "Jillian Van Turnhout: We've improved - but we still don't treat kids right - Jillian Van Turnhout - Irish Mirror Online". Irishmirror.ie. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  13. ^ Jillian van Turnhout (29 January 2014). "An Update on Youth Justice Policy | Senator Jillian van Turnhout". Jillianvanturnhout.ie. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  14. ^ Jillian van Turnhout (13 May 2015). "Statements on Early Child Care | Senator Jillian van Turnhout". Jillianvanturnhout.ie. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  15. ^ Jillian van Turnhout (31 May 2012). "Protection of Children's Health from Tobacco Smoke Bill 2012 | Senator Jillian van Turnhout". Jillianvanturnhout.ie. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  16. ^ Jillian van Turnhout (4 December 2014). "Statements on Homelessness Wednesday 3 December 2014 | Senator Jillian van Turnhout". Jillianvanturnhout.ie. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  17. ^ Jillian van Turnhout (8 December 2015). "Commencement Matter: Neuro-Rehabilitation Services Provision, 2 December 2015 | Senator Jillian van Turnhout". Jillianvanturnhout.ie. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  18. ^ Jillian van Turnhout (12 May 2015). "Statements on Alcohol Consumption in Ireland | Senator Jillian van Turnhout". Jillianvanturnhout.ie. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  19. ^ Marie O'Halloran (20 January 2016). "Van Turnhout urges end to RSA links with drinks industry". Irishtimes.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  20. ^ Jillian van Turnhout (12 May 2015). "Role of drinks industry in Schools – Commencement Matters | Senator Jillian van Turnhout". Jillianvanturnhout.ie. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  21. ^ "Biography" (PDF). Children's Rights Alliance. 9 November 2011.[permanent dead link]
  22. ^ "Congratulations, Entrepreneurs Ireland Award" (PDF). European Citizens' Initiative: Information Seminar. European Movement Ireland. 5 March 2012.[dead link]
  23. ^ "European Citizens' Initiative: Information Seminar". Children's Rights Alliance. 18 October 2011. Archived from the original on 18 November 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  24. ^ "WMB Conference & Awards 2010". BizStartUp. 9 November 2011. Archived from the original on 14 December 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  25. ^ "Congratulations to Senator Jillian van Turnhout, Former Chief Executive on Winning Politician of the Year Award | Children's Rights Alliance". Childrensrights.ie. 18 December 2015. Archived from the original on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  26. ^ Miriam Lord (19 December 2015). "Miriam Lord: The pick of political winners from this year's Dáil". Irishtimes.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  27. ^ "Michael van Turnhout". Fine Gael. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
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