| Jillian van Turnhout | |
|---|---|
| Senator | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 20 May 2011 |
|
| Constituency | Nominated by the Taoiseach |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse(s) | Michael van Turnhout |
| Website | www.jillianvanturnhout.ie |
Jillian van Turnhout is an Irish children's rights activist and a member of Seanad Éireann.[1]
She has previously been Chief Commissioner of the Irish Girl Guides (IGG); President of the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) and is currently a member of the National Youth Work Advisory Committee. She was also Secretary General of the ECB-BEC (predecessor to the European Youth Forum). She is the outgoing Chief Executive of the Children's Rights Alliance.[2]
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. For 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 EU Forum on the Rights of the Child and the EU-China Round Table.[3]
In September 2010, van Turnhout won the Newstalk Women Mean Business Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award.[4].
In May 2011, she was nominated by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny to the 24th Seanad.[5][6] She is married to Michael van Turnhout who is a member of Fine Gael, the party's former constituency chairperson for Dublin South and a current member of their National Executive.[7]