RTPI Ireland Committee Members

Rachel Brown is serving a term of office as Chair of RTPI Ireland, is a Chartered Planner (MRTPI) and has been a member of the Institute for nearly 25 years.  She has gained professional experience in both Ireland and the UK in Local Authorities in Forward Planning, Development Management and Enforcement roles including appearing as expert witness in Public Inquiries.  Currently Rachel is employed in the Active Travel Capital Delivery Team.  Rachel holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Planning from the University of Nottingham and BSc(Hons) in Geography, she is currently in her second year of the MSc in Sustainable Transport and Mobility programme at TUD.

Principal , Planning & Place, Avison Young

Valerie Brennan Valerie is a Corporate Member of the RTPI Executive Committee and has been a member of the RTPI for over 15 years. Having graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with a Masters in Town and Country Planning in 2004, she has gained a wide variety of professional experience across the public, private and semi-state sectors working for entities such as Westmeath County Council, DTZ Pieda Consulting and Tom Phillips and Associates. The daa, Coillte and EirGrid and amongst the semi-state agencies with whom Valerie has worked either directly or on secondment and during this time, Valerie has been an advocate for the role of a Town Planner and demonstrated the value of having planning expertise centrally involved in development strategies, particularly for strategic infrastructure projects. Valerie currently holds the position of Senior Associate with RPS Group Ltd. and is working on a variety of international infrastructure projects that concern both the marine and the terrestrial environments.

Self employed as a planning consultant since 2004

Blaine Cregan B.Eng; B.Sc; M.Sc. Blaine is a Licentiate member of the RTPI and has worked in planning since 2014 following graduating from a M.Sc. in Environmental Planning from Queen’s University Belfast. He currently works as a Senior Associate Director at a leading Dublin based planning consultancy following some experience in the public sector. Blaine has experience in managing multi-disciplinary teams through the planning system for complex development projects. From his studies in engineering and construction, Blaine has an insightful understanding and a technical appreciation of other construction and development related professions Blaine has experience in a wide range of development projects including residential, commercial, office, retail, Strategic Housing Developments, regeneration and redevelopment projects, feasibility studies, masterplanning, developments involving protected structures and recorded monuments and large scale mixed use schemes.

Town Planner

The Land Development Agency

Luke is an Associate Director with a Dublin-based planning consultancy, working on a wide variety of projects ranging from site appraisals to the preparation of complex planning applications, including Environmental Impact Assessment Reports. Luke has a broad range of experience in private sector planning consultancy, including on major retail, mixed use, and data centre developments, and on Strategic Infrastructure and Strategic Housing Developments. He is a Licentiate Member of the RTPI and a Corporate Member of the Irish Planning Institute. Luke holds a BA in Geography and Archaeology from UCD, a Masters in Regional and Urban Planning from UCD, and an Advanced Diploma in Planning and Environmental Law from King's Inns, in addition to a Diploma in Project Management. He is currently completing further studies in Environmental Management at UCD.

Niall Byrne is a Chartered Planner (MRPTI) and currently serves as the RTPI Ireland representative to the General Assembly (2020/2021). Niall is currently a Manager in the Real Estate Advisory Department of Deloitte Ireland. Niall holds an M.Sc. in Urban and Rural Design, a B.Sc. in Spatial Planning and is also a Corporate Member of the Irish Planning Institute (MIPI). Niall began his career in the public sector in Ireland before moving to the UK to work as a planning consultant in the renewable energy sector. He returned to Ireland in 2013 working primarily on the planning delivery of a European PCI (Project of Common Interest) and energy projects. Niall's most recent role as Associate Director for a leading planning consultancy firm involved managing large scale planning applications for strategic housing developments (SHD), retail and commercial projects and the preparation and co-ordination of Environmental Impact Assessment Reports.

Aidan Culhane is serving his second term of office as Chair of RTPI Ireland, having also filled that role in 2019. He is currently Chief Executive of The Iveagh Trust. Prior to that he spent some years in the private sector. Aidan was also special adviser to the Minister for Housing and Planning. He served as a elected member of local government for 12 years, where he chaired the Housing and Planning Committees. He holds a Masters degree in Regional and Urban Planning from UCD, and is an associate lecturer at the Institute for Public Administration.