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Joan Freeman (politician)

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Joan Freeman
Senator
In office
8 June 2016 – 29 June 2020
ConstituencyNominated by the Taoiseach
Personal details
Born
Joan Lowe

(1958-04-02) 2 April 1958 (age 66)
Dublin, Ireland
Political partyIndependent
Spouse
Patrick Freeman
​
(m. 1982)​
Children4
Relatives
Alma materOpen University

Joan Freeman (née Lowe; born 2 April 1958) is an Irish psychologist, mental health activist and an independent politician who served as a Senator from 2016 to 2020, after being nominated by the then Taoiseach, Enda Kenny. She is the founder of Pieta House, a national mental health services charity. She resigned from Pieta House in 2014. She was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2018 presidential election.[1]

Pieta House

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Freeman is the founder of Pieta House, a suicide intervention charity established in 2006 in Lucan, County Dublin. Since 2006, Pieta House has established twelve additional centres across Ireland with almost 270 therapists and administration staff, providing free therapeutic services to over 30,000 people.[2] In 2008, Freeman founded the annual fund-raising event Darkness into Light in aid of Pieta House. Begun with 400 participants, approximately 200,000 people participated in the May 2018 recent iteration of the event.[3][4] The 5 km walk took place across 180 venues worldwide. Then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was among the 15,000 people who undertook the walk in Dublin's Phoenix Park.[4]

Freeman resigned from Pieta House in 2014, in order to concentrate on developing Solace House, a similar charity based in New York City launched in 2015.[5] The service was initially created to serve the Irish diaspora in New York, but has since supported and counselled people from many different nationalities.[6]

Governance Issues at Pieta House

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As the founder and former CEO of Pieta House, Freeman faced scrutiny over governance failures during her tenure. A 2012 audit by Pobal, a government funding agency, identified issues such as the use of pre-signed blank cheques, inadequate financial controls, and improper allocation of public funds. These findings led to Pieta House refunding over €30,000 in misallocated grants in 2013. [7]

Political career

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In 2016, Freeman was nominated by then Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, as a member of Seanad Éireann.[8] She helped form, and now chairs, Ireland's first Committee on the Future of Mental Healthcare.[9] She is also a member of the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs. She is a former member of the Council for Justice and Peace of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference,[10] at one time speaking to raise awareness on suicide prevention training programmes provided by Pieta House.[11]

Freeman received the nomination of four councils required to be a candidate in the 2018 presidential election.[1] The incumbent President Michael D. Higgins was running for re-election and an election was held on 26 October 2018.[12]

The Times described Freeman as having "strong family links with the anti-abortion movement".[13][14][15] Her sister, Theresa Lowe, and her niece, Maria Steen, argued for a No vote in the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment on televised debates on RTÉ and TV3. Steen is a member of the Iona Institute.[16][17] Freeman had said that although she voted No in the referendum, she "would be happy to carry the voice of the people and sign resulting legislation into law as president" and noted her daughter's involvement in the Yes campaign.[18] Independent TD Mattie McGrath will support Freeman if she runs, stating that "a good Catholic president would be refreshing".[16] If elected, Freeman had said she would have set up a "National Assembly of Well-being".[19]

Freeman's 2018 presidential campaign incurred expenses exceeding €250,000. Finishing fifth in the election, she did not qualify for reimbursement of these expenses, leading to discussions about the financial prudence of her campaign. Despite the losses, Freeman maintained that running for president was a valuable experience.[20]

During the campaign, the Irish Independent reported on a speech by Freeman in which she claimed that her eczema had been miraculously cured following a visit to Knock Shrine when she was a teenager.[21]

Presidential Campaign Financing:

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During her 2018 presidential bid, Freeman received a €120,000 loan from Des Walsh, a former boyfriend and then-president of Herbalife Nutrition. Her acceptance of this loan raised questions, particularly given Herbalife's past controversies, including allegations of operating as a pyramid scheme. Freeman defended her decision, stating she trusted Walsh's character and did not feel the need for a background check.[22]

Freeman's 2018 presidential campaign incurred expenses exceeding €250,000. Finishing fifth in the election, she did not qualify for reimbursement of these expenses, leading to discussions about the financial prudence of her campaign. Despite the losses, Freeman maintained that running for president was a valuable experience.[20]

Personal life

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Freeman is a native of Dublin. The sixth of the eight children of Marie and John Lowe, she lived in Warwickshire, England, where her parents moved when she was a baby. Her family returned to Dublin when she was 12, and her father took up a job managing his brother's pub, The Sword, on Camden Street.[23]

She is married to Patrick Freeman and has four children.[24] She holds a degree and MA in psychology. In June 2018, Freeman received the Trailblazer Award from the Women's Executive Network, Ireland.[25] In 2019, Trinity College Dublin awarded her with an honorary doctorate.[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Freeman and Gallagher both secure nominations for Áras bids". RTÉ News. 10 September 2018. Archived from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  2. ^ "About Pieta House". Pieta House. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  3. ^ Russell, Cliodhna (12 May 2018). "In photos: Stunning summer morning as 200,000 walk from Darkness into Light". Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Over 200,000 dawn walkers take part in 'Darkness into Light' in venues across Ireland and worldwide". 12 May 2018. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Pieta House founder Joan Freeman leaving charity for new mental health project in New York". TheJournal.ie. 31 October 2017. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  6. ^ "Solace House – Suicide Prevention Center". solacehouseinc.com. Solace House. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  7. ^ "Pieta in disarray | NewsScoops.Org - Irish Newspaper Investigations". 26 December 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  8. ^ "Joan Freeman". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Committee on Future of Mental Health Care". www.oireachtas.ie. 13 July 2018. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  10. ^ "Council for Justice and Peace of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference". Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference. Archived from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018."Council for Justice and Peace of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference". Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference. Archived from the original on 15 May 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  11. ^ Rooney, Nicola (April 2013). "A Pastoral Response to Suicide". Intercom. Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference. pp. 10–11. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  12. ^ Doyle, Kevin (18 July 2018). "Pieta House founder Joan Freeman seeks nomination for Aras election". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  13. ^ Justine McCarthy (8 July 2018). "Catholic support for Joan Freeman tackling the presidency". The Times. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  14. ^ Hosford, Paul (31 July 2018). "'What's wrong with a President who wears wellies?' - Independent candidates vie for nomination". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  15. ^ Defoe, Sean (31 July 2018). "Presidential hopeful Joan Freeman 'would sign law' to allow abortions". Newstalk. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  16. ^ a b McCarthy, Justine (8 July 2018). "Catholic support for Joan Freeman tackling the presidency". The Times. Archived from the original on 24 July 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  17. ^ "How the main contenders line up". The Times. 11 July 2018. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  18. ^ Larkin, Laura (31 July 2018). "Senator Joan Freeman 'happy to sign abortion bill into law' if elected as president, despite No vote in referendum". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  19. ^ "Senator Joan Freeman pledges to encourage national wellbeing if elected president". BreakingNews.ie. 31 July 2018. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  20. ^ a b "Joan Freeman: Senator defends bid for presidency despite losses of €253,000". Irish Independent. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  21. ^ Larkin, Laura (7 September 2018). "'Knock cured my eczema,' says presidential hopeful Joan Freeman". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  22. ^ "Freeman backer Walsh has made more than $50 million from Herbalife in last decade". www.businesspost.ie. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  23. ^ "'I'm humbled by the people who fundraise and donate from their pensions and Confirmation cash' - Herald.ie". Herald.ie. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  24. ^ "'I'm humbled by the people who fundraise and donate from their pensions and Confirmation cash'". Herald.ie. 30 October 2013. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  25. ^ "Ireland's Most Powerful Women: Top 25 Award Winners for 2018 - WXN - Women's Executive Network - At WXN we inspire smart women to lead". WXN. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  26. ^ "Honorary Degrees 2019". Trinity News and Events. 6 December 2019. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
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