Michele Clarke, Adjunct Professor, and a graduate of this School, was recently appointed by Minister Hildeguarde Naughton, TD, as one of four Commissioners on the Commission of Investigation into the Handling of Historical Sexual Abuse in Schools. 

The Commission, led by the Hon Mr Justice Michael McGrath will investigate the handling of allegations or concerns of historical child sexual abuse in all day and boarding schools in Ireland, including special schools, which occurred between 1927 and 2013. The Commission  will be organised in two streams and Michele will lead on the  Survivor Engagement Programme. The other stream is a a formal investigation of sample cases or instances of the handling of allegations, complaints or concerns of child sexual abuse in schools. The Commission’s Terms of Reference are available here. 

Michele previously worked on a Scoping Inquiry into historical sexual abuse in religious run schools whose report was published in September 2024.

Michele is a regular lecturer in the Masters in Child Protection and the BSS. Up to 2022 Michele was the Chief Social Worker in the Department of Children, Disability, Integration and Youth and her career spanned a range of child protection, mental health and regulation services.