FASD Hub Ireland

11/04/2026

Today we are re-introducing our amazing Speakers and the titles of their presentations for this years FASD Ireland Conference!

Next is Gerard Brophy, Chief Social Worker at TUSLA.

His presentation will be "Looking ahead to the future of FASD recognition and support within Ireland, with a focus on TUSLA systems, service development, and how case based supports can better meet the needs of people in the care system living with FASD."

Do not miss the opportunity to miss out on this presentation! Find our more and book your place: www.fasdireland.ie/conference or scan the QR code.

📅 14th & 15th May 2026
📍 Hotel Woodstock, Ennis, County Clare, V95 TR25

11/04/2026

Today we are re-introducing our amazing Speakers and the titles of their presentations for this years FASD Ireland Conference!

Next is Rossi & Jan Griffin!

Jan is a birth mother and outspoken advocate who frequently shares her lived experience of raising her son, Rossi, who has Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Jan is open and honest about not knowing she was pregnant until four months in. During that time, she drank socially and was unaware of the risks alcohol posed.

Rossi is a young adult FASD advocate whose public presentations, readings, and current book offer a vivid, humorous, and deeply honest account of life with FASD. Rossi is a member of the Adults and Young Adults with FASD Advisory Committee and frequently speaks at national conferences. Rossi was also a contestant on Season 6 of BBC's "Glow Up"

Their presentation will be "A powerful lived experience presentation exploring “confabulation,” “stealing,” and the hidden vulnerabilities of people with FASD. Rossi’s story illustrates how appearing articulate can mask genuine difficulties with understanding - increasing risk of job loss, marginalisation, and justice system involvement."

Do not miss the opportunity to miss out on this presentation! Find our more and book your place: www.fasdireland.ie/conference or scan the QR code.

📅 14th & 15th May 2026
📍 Hotel Woodstock, Ennis, County Clare, V95 TR25

11/04/2026

Today we are re-introducing our amazing Speakers and the titles of their presentations for this years FASD Ireland Conference!

Next is Dr Cathal McAuliffe - Principal Specialist Clinical Neuropsychologist at Three Steps.

His presentation will be "A practical guide to differentiating FASD from other neurodevelopmental disorders, supporting more accurate identification, assessment, and appropriate intervention across health, education, and social care settings."

Do not miss the opportunity to miss out on this presentation! Find our more and book your place: www.fasdireland.ie/conference or scan the QR code.

📅 14th & 15th May 2026
📍 Hotel Woodstock, Ennis, County Clare, V95 TR25

11/04/2026

Today we are re-introducing our amazing Speakers and the titles of their presentations for this years FASD Ireland Conference!

Next is Joy McGlynn - Head Guardian ad Litem at the new Guardian ad Litem National Service - launching in 2026. Joy has over 20 years’ experience in child protection and welfare services and is also a Social Worker.

Her presentation will be "An overview of Ireland’s new Guardian ad Litem National Service, including its purpose, future direction, and how children’s voices are represented in care proceedings - alongside key legal and procedural considerations for professionals."

Do not miss the opportunity to miss out on this presentation! Find our more and book your place: www.fasdireland.ie/conference or scan the QR code.

📅 14th & 15th May 2026
📍 Hotel Woodstock, Ennis, County Clare, V95 TR25

11/04/2026

Today we are re-introducing our amazing Speakers and the titles of their presentations for this years FASD Ireland Conference!

Next is Dr David Junior Gilbert - Chartered Psychologist and University Fellow - FASD and the Justice system at University of Salford.

His presentation will be "Why people living with FASD are disproportionately drawn into the justice system - including impulsivity, suggestibility, confabulation, and widespread misunderstanding of FASD during investigative interviewing."

Do not miss the opportunity to miss out on this presentation! Find our more and book your place: www.fasdireland.ie/conference or scan the QR code.

📅 14th & 15th May 2026
📍 Hotel Woodstock, Ennis, County Clare, V95 TR25

11/04/2026

Today we are re-introducing our amazing Speakers and the titles of their presentations for this years FASD Ireland Conference!

Next is Dr Etain Quigley and Tara Gallagher - both from Maynooth University. Dr Quigley is a Lecturer in Law and Tara is a PhD Researcher in the School of Law and Criminology. Both are working very hard to be able to evidence how FASD affects people living with the condition in Ireland and the Justice system.

Their presentation will be "Examining the pitfalls of police interviewing for individuals with FASD traits and explore some international evidence around how such problems may be addressed to ensure that individuals' human rights are protected in such scenarios."

Do not miss the opportunity to miss out on this presentation! Find our more and book your place: www.fasdireland.ie/conference or scan the QR code.

📅 14th & 15th May 2026
📍 Hotel Woodstock, Ennis, County Clare, V95 TR25

11/04/2026

Today we are re-introducing our amazing Speakers and the titles of their presentations for this years FASD Ireland Conference!

First up is Professor Julian Davies, Clinical Professor of Paediatrics at University of Washington, Seattle. We are honoured that Professor Davies has agreed to join us and travel all the way from Seattle!

His presentation will be "How pre-natal alcohol exposure can permanently affect brain development, and the physical, health, and behavioural signs of FASD that can show up across a person’s life, often unnoticed by professionals and those working in law."

Do not miss the opportunity to miss out on this presentation! Find our more and book your place: www.fasdireland.ie/conference or scan the QR code.

📅 14th & 15th May 2026
📍 Hotel Woodstock, Ennis, County Clare, V95 TR25

10/04/2026

We are thrilled to announce our final speakers for this years FASD Ireland Conference!

Rossi & Jan Griffin will be joining us - Rossi is an adult living with FASD and Jan is his Mother by Birth.

Jan is a birth mother and outspoken advocate who frequently shares her lived experience of raising her son, Rossi, who has Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Jan is open and honest about not knowing she was pregnant until four months in. During that time, she drank socially and was unaware of the risks alcohol posed.

Rossi is a young adult FASD advocate whose public presentations, readings, and current book offer a vivid, humorous, and deeply honest account of life with FASD. Rossi is a member of the Adults and Young Adults with FASD Advisory Committee and frequently speaks at national conferences. Rossi was also a contestant on Season 6 of BBC's "Glow Up"

Come and join a community who really get FASD - from lived experience to frontline practitioners and professionals - and leave with fresh ideas, real world strategies, and those ‘oh wow, that finally makes sense’ moments.

Get your tickets here: www.fasdireland.ie/conference

10/04/2026

If you have ever wondered why FASD Ireland exists, you are about to find out by listening to the amazing "Stories from Foster Care" Podcast from the Irish Foster Care Association.

Tristan and Scott have a great chat with Andrew Murphy, exploring how they got into Foster Care and Adoption and ultimately what led to them setting up FASD Ireland.

Stick the kettle on, get a cuppa and enjoy.

New Episode Out Now – Stories from Foster Care

In this new episode, Andrew Murphy, Advocacy Co-ordinator with IFCA sits down with Scott and Tristan Casson-Rennie to explore their journey as a same-sex couple through adoption and fostering.

They also share their passion as founders of FASD Ireland, working to raise awareness of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) across Irish society. This important conversation sheds light on how prenatal alcohol exposure can impact a child’s brain and development.

Tristan offers valuable insights into the nature and prevalence of FASD, essential listening for foster carers, adoptive parents, and anyone who may be supporting a child affected by or showing signs of the condition.

🎧 Tune in now and be part of the conversation https://nearcast.ie/stories-from-foster-care-scott-and-tristan-casson-rennie/

09/04/2026

Yesterday, our CEO Tristan, along with FASD Ireland Advisory Board Chair Kate FitzHerbert and FASD Ireland’s Expert Medical Advisor Professor Farhana Sharif met with Minister of State with responsibility for Disability Emer Higgins T.D., a representative from the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, and a representative of An Tanáiste Simon Harris TD.

During the meeting the following topics were discussed:

* The risks of prenatal alcohol exposure for men and women and the total lack of public health education in Ireland about FASD.
* That 381,000 people live in Ireland with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and 1 in 10 babies are born with a form of FASD today.
* Home-grown FASD related research from Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Trinity College Dublin, University of Galway and underway at Maynooth University
* FASD Ireland provides the only national telephone helpline service for people living with FASD, their parents, carers and professionals working in the sector. In addition, FASD Ireland is the only organisation for clinicians to refer patients for ‘wrap around’ support after diagnosis or when FAS/FASD is suspected.
* That FASD is not rare, however it is rarely diagnosed. Ireland has the highest prevalence in Europe (up to 7.4%) and the second highest in the world behind South Africa. The global average is 0.8%
* That most people living in Ireland with FAS/FASD are misdiagnosed as living with Autism (ASD) or ADHD, simply because HSE primary care services are not asking questions about the conception or pregnancy in their assessments of the child.
* Ireland is the only country in the developed world that doesn’t recognise FASD (Minister Hildegarde Naughton, 26 March 2025 PQ14312/25) and this needs addressing urgently.
* That the 4-digit diagnostic code from University of Washington / Susan Hemingway is the preferred diagnostic tool we should be using in Ireland.
* The funding model for FASD Ireland, and the funding available to provide services during 2026. With adequate funding, FASD Ireland can scale services across most Government Departments and begin to address the €4.6bn that failure to recognise and support people living with FASD is costing the Irish economy each year.

(We know that Minister Jack Chambers would be our biggest fan!)

We had a very candid and at times challenging conversation and would like to sincerely thank Minister Higgins for not only making the time to meet with us, but for providing an environment where we could voice our concerns honestly and openly. We look forward to engaging with Minister Higgins again soon, and of course, keeping FASD on the agenda as Ireland’s most prevalent neuro-developmental disability.