The Board has overall responsibility for the operation and functioning of the ERC which includes setting the strategic direction of the agency.
In accordance with section 12 of the Establishment Order SI no. 392 of 2015, members of the Board are appointed by the Minister for Education.
The Board is made of five independent non-executive Board members. The Minister designates one member of the Centre as chairperson and one member of the Centre as deputy chairperson of the Centre.
As at November 2022, there is one vacancy on the Board: one Ordinary Member.
Mr Edward Murtagh, Chair
Edward Murtagh is a former Assistant Chief Inspector at the Department of Education, a role which encompassed coordinating policy advice across a broad range of areas including curriculum, assessment, Irish language education and national and international research projects. He was head of the Department’s Evaluation Support and Research Unit and represented the Department on a number of expert groups at national and at European Union level, including the OECD Expert Group on Assessment, which he co-chaired. He worked as Division Manager of the School Evaluation and Quality Assurance division of the Abu Dhabi Education Council. He has been a member of the Board of the Educational Research Centre since 2016 and chair of its Audit and Risk Committee since 2017.
Dr Denise Burns, Deputy Chair
Former Principal of Sancta Maria College, Rathfarnham, Dr. Burns was a researcher and report writer in the Commission on School Accommodation. After completing a PhD thesis focused on assessment in the Leaving Certificate, she researched culturally responsive assessment as a team member in the Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection in DCU. Dr. Burns lectured in educational policy. She has been designated as Deputy Chairperson.
Dr Sharon Feeney
Senior Lecturer in Technological University, Dublin with over 30 years’ experience in the Irish higher education sector. She is a Chartered Director and is a Board member (non-executive) of the Higher Education Authority (2016–2023). She is also a Board member (non-executive) of the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (2019-2023). Dr Feeney has published numerous book chapters and journal articles on the area of Higher Education Policy, Public Accountability and Governance, Student Experience in Higher Education, International Standards and Quality Assurance Systems for Higher Education, Higher Education Organisation Design, Culture and Structures.
Prof Michael Martin
Research Professor at Lynch School of Education in Boston College, USA, Professor Martin previously worked with the ERC in the 70’s and 80’s. Prof Martin specialises in International comparisons of student achievement; educational measurement; research methodology; statistical analysis and statistical computing.
Minutes of ERC Board Meetings:
28th Sep 2016: Click here for minutes.
14th Dec 2016: Click here for minutes.
25th Jan 2017: Click here for minutes.
22nd Mar 2017: Click here for minutes.
30th May 2017: Click here for minutes.
5th July 2017: Click here for minutes.
26th Sep 2017: Click here for minutes.
29th Nov 2017: Click here for minutes.
17th Jan 2018: Click here for minutes.
5th Mar 2018: Click here for minutes.
25th Apr 2018: Click here for minutes.
27th June 2018: Click here for minutes.
12th Sep 2018: Click here for minutes.
13th Nov 2018: Click here for minutes.
13th Feb 2019: Click here for minutes.
6th March 2019: Click here for minutes.
1st May 2019: Click here for minutes.
19th June 2019: Click here for minutes.
25th Sep 2019: Click here for minutes.
4th Dec 2019: Click here for minutes.
20th Feb 2020: Click here for minutes.
29th April 2020: Click here for minutes.
30th June 2020: Click here for minutes.
16th Sep 2020: Click here for minutes.
20th Oct 2020: Click here for minutes.
2nd Dec 2020: Click here for minutes.
18th Feb 2021: Click here for minutes.
13th April 2021: Click here for minutes.
29th June 2021: Click here for minutes.
13th Sep 2021: Click here for minutes.
2nd Nov 2021: Click here for minutes.
Please note: all commercially sensitive information and personal matters will be removed from the ERC’s Board minutes before publishing.