Dr Mia Treacy
More information
Barrister | Assistant Professor | Former Deputy Director of PDST
Research Report
Leavy, A.M., Hourigan, M., Harmon, M., Treacy, M. & Fitzpatrick, M. (2023). Report on the Consultation with Children on the Draft Primary Mathematics Curriculum. A report commissioned by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. Available at
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Bourke, A., Nohilly, M., Maunsell, C. & Treacy, M. (2026) Silent witnesses or first responders? Teachers鈥 role in child protection and reporting in Ireland. Child Protection and Practice, 100307
Treacy, M., Bourke, A., Nohilly, M. & Maunsell, C. (2025) 鈥淎 pivotal, lynch-pin role鈥 or 鈥渙ne cog in the wheel鈥? Irish primary school teachers鈥 beliefs about their role in child protection. Child Abuse Review, 34(6)
Nohilly, M. & Treacy, M. (2025) Monitoring and recording child protection in schools: a review of practice. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 1-15,
Treacy, M. & Nohilly, M. (2025) Being the DLP! Their mandated reporting experiences in Irish primary schools, Social Personal and Health Education Network Conference Proceedings.
Nohilly, M. & Treacy M. (2024) Teachers鈥 perceptions of enabling and hindering factors in child abuse disclosures, Child Protection and Practice, 3, 100064,
Treacy, M. & Leavy, A.M. (2023) Pupil voice and its role in creating cognitive dissonance: the neglected narrative in teacher professional development. Professional Development in Education, 49(3), 458-477,
Nohilly, M. & Treacy, M. (2022) Dealing with and reporting child protection concerns: A snapshot of Irish primary schools, The Irish Journal of Education, 45,
Treacy, M. (2022) Unsupported and unrealistic expectations? Misalignment between teachers鈥 required knowledge of the law in the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers and C茅im Standards for Initial Teacher Education, Irish Educational Studies,
Nohilly, M. & Treacy, M. (2022) Child protection in Irish primary schools: Supports and challenges in the role of designated liaison person for child protection, The British Journal of Social Work,
Treacy, M. (2021) Improving access to denominational education: the legislature鈥檚 steps towards substantive change or a fig leaf designed for the international community? King鈥檚 Inns Law Review, 10, 26.
Treacy, M. & Nohilly, M. (2020) Teacher education and child protection: Complying with requirements or putting children first? Children and Youth Services Review, 113,
Nohilly M. & Treacy, M. (2020) Designated liaison persons in Irish primary schools: Representing the voice of children that may not be seen or heard. Children鈥檚 Research Digest, 6(2), 46-50.
Treacy, M. (2017). Spoon-feeding to tongue-biting and beyond: Factors that contributed to changes in Irish primary school teachers鈥 mathematics practice. Irish Educational Studies, 36(3), 375-397,
Treacy, M. (2013). Spoon-feeding to tongue-biting: An evolving instructional framework for primary school mathematics. Proceedings of the Fifth Conference on Research on Mathematics Education: Mathematics Education Crossing Boundaries. Editors: Therese Dooley, Si煤n NicMhuir铆, Maurice O'Reilly, Ronan Ward.
Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters
Nohilly, M. & Treacy, M. (2021) Tracing the development of child protection practices in Ireland: From the poignant past to present pressures. In A. Leavy and M. Nohilly (eds.) Perspectives on Childhood. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Treacy, M. (2021) Pupil voice: Both a human right and a tool for shaping teachers鈥 practice. In A. Leavy and M. Nohilly (eds.) Perspectives on Childhood. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Peer-Reviewed Conference Papers
Nohilly, M., Bourke, A., Treacy, M. & Maunsell, M. (2025) Personal safety education: teacher reflections on the effectiveness and implementation of the Stay Safe programme. SPHE Network Annual Conference: From Strong Foundations to Emerging Horizons 鈥 25 Years of SPHE, Dublin, Ireland, 8 November.
Treacy, M., Nohilly, M. & Murphy, B. (2025) Child protection training matters: Receiving training and modality impact the work of Designated Liaison Persons in Irish primary schools. International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Conference: Child Well-being in a Changing Reality, Vilnius, Lithuania, 6-9 October.
Nohilly, M., Maunsell, C., Treacy, M. & Bourke, A. (2025) Categories of child abuse: Knowledge of the four main categories as self-reported by primary school teachers in the Irish context. Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE) Annual Conference: The Making of Authentic Teachers in Ages of Artificiality, Dublin, Ireland, 26-29 August.
Nohilly, M. & Treacy, M. (2025) Teachers鈥 experience of dealing with child protection: Responding and reporting. Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE) Annual Conference: The Making of Authentic Teachers in Ages of Artificiality, Dublin, Ireland, 26-29 August.
Treacy, M. & Nohilly, M. (2025) Confidence in identifying child abuse and neglect: national research from school principals in Ireland. American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting: Research, Remedy, and Repair: Toward Just Educational Renewal, Denver, 23-27 April.
Treacy, M., Bourke, A., Nohilly, M. & Maunsell, C. (2025) Irish primary school teachers鈥 views of the role they should play in child protection. Education Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) Conference: Building Bridges and Making Connections: Education for Hope and Transformation, Athlone, Ireland, 10-12 April.
Maunsell, C., Treacy, M., Bourke, A. & Nohilly, M. (2025) Teachers' identified training and professional development needs in child protection. Education Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) Conference: Building Bridges and Making Connections: Education for Hope and Transformation, Athlone, Ireland, 10-12 April.
Nohilly, M., Maunsell, C., Treacy, M. & Bourke, A. (2025) Considering child protection in the context of a commitment to care in education. Education Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) Conference: Building Bridges and Making Connections: Education for Hope and Transformation, Athlone, Ireland, 10-12 April.
Bourke, A., Nohilly, M, Maunsell, C. & Treacy, M. (2025) Teachers' attitudes towards, and knowledge of, child protection issues. Education Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) Conference: Building Bridges and Making Connections: Education for Hope and Transformation, Athlone, Ireland, 10-12 April.
Bourke, A., Treacy, M., Maunsell, C. & Nohilly M. (2024) Schools at the coalface of child protection. Children鈥檚 Research Network and University College Dublin CHilD-RC Annual Conference, Dublin, 5 December.
Treacy, M. & Nohilly, M. (2024) Evolving child protection practice in Irish primary schools: the experiences of Designated Liaison Persons across a 15-year period. International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Conference: Working Together to Protect Children in Times of Crisis, Uppsala, Sweden, 18-21 August.
Nohilly, M. & Treacy, M. (2024) Doing justice to child protection concerns: supports and barriers that enable children to tell. Education Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) Conference: Education for More Just Societies: The Roles of Imagination, Innovation and Collaboration, Maynooth, Ireland, 4鈥6 April.
Treacy, M. & Nohilly, M. (2023) Being the DLP! Mandated reporting experiences in Irish primary schools. Social Personal and Health Education Network Conference: Being, Becoming and Beyond: SPHE in Children and Young People鈥檚 Lives, Dublin, Ireland, 11 November.
Treacy, M. & Nohilly, M. (2023) New child protection mandatory reporting requirements for Irish teachers: Implementation challenges and barriers. American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting: Interrogating Consequential Education Research in Pursuit of Truth, Chicago, 13-16 April.
Nohilly, M. & Treacy, M. (2023) Teachers and child protection: Insights from the Irish primary school context. Education Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) Conference: Education, Change and Democratic Societies: New Imperatives and Creative Responses, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 30 March鈥1 April.
Nohilly, M. & Treacy, M. (2021) Revitalising child protection work in primary schools: Enhancing inter-agency communication and cooperation between social workers and school personnel. The National Child Protection and Social Work Conference, University College Cork (online), 22 October.
Treacy, M. & Nohilly M. (2020) Educating Teachers for Protecting Children: Need to Re-Focus. Educational Studies Association of Ireland Conference: Opening up Education: Options, Obstacles and Opportunities, Online (hosted by Institute of Education, Dublin City University), 4 September.
Treacy, M. (2020) Pupil Voice and Its Role in Creating Cognitive Dissonance: The Neglected Narrative in Professional Development [Paper Session]. American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (Conference Cancelled), 17-21 April.
Nohilly, M. & Treacy, M. (2019). Designated Liaison Persons in Irish primary schools: The potential impact on children鈥檚 lives and safety. Children鈥檚 Research Network Annual Conference: Children Should be Seen AND Heard, Dublin, 5 December.
Treacy, M. (2019). Task complexity and diversity: Competing realities for a newly appointed principal in Ireland. 8th International Research Methods Summer School: Leading, Leaders, and Leadership in Schools, Communities and Society, Limerick, Ireland, 25 May.
Treacy, M. (2019). Pupil voice: the overlooked narrative in teacher professional development. Education Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) Conference: Education in Times of Change, Choice, and Challenge, Sligo, Ireland, 11-13 April.
Treacy, M. (2018). The changing purpose of professional development policy for primary schools in Ireland. Education Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) Conference: Values and Purpose in Education, University College Dublin, Ireland, 5-7 April.
Treacy, M. (2017). Restrictive factors in mathematics in one case study primary school in Ireland. Teacher Education Policy in Europe (TEPE): Education for All: Issues for Teacher Education, 91制片厂, Limerick, Ireland, 18-20 May.
Media Publications
Treacy, M. & Nohilly, M. (2023) New child protection mandatory reporting requirements for Irish teachers: Implementation challenges and barriers, AERA Educational Change Lead the Change Series, 139. Available at
Treacy, M. & Nohilly, M. (2020) Child Protection Research with DLPs. Leadership+: Professional Publication of the Irish Primary Principals鈥 Network, October Issue.
Treacy, M. (2015). IMPACT Maths programme. Leadership+: Professional Publication of the Irish Primary Principals鈥 Network, Issue 84 (January 2015).
Treacy, M. (2010). English as an Additional Language 鈥 putting it in writing. InTouch: Publication of the Irish National Teachers鈥 Organisation (January/February issue) p.57-59.
Treacy, M. (2009). Reading more deeply into English as an Additional Language! InTouch: Publication of the Irish National Teachers鈥 Organisation (December issue) p.46-47.
Treacy, M. (2009). Speaking and listening 鈥 the English as an Additional Language context. InTouch: Publication of the Irish National Teachers鈥 Organisation (November issue) p.49-50.
Keynote Address
Treacy, M. (2021). Creativity, discovery learning, freedom: the need to protect and continually cultivate Froebelian approaches. Keynote Address. Inaugural Meeting of the Irish Froebel Network, Online, 19 June.
Invited Lectures
Treacy, M. & Nohilly, M. (2026) Schools matter in child protection: considerations for school leadership. Le Ch茅ile School Trust Annual General Meeting Conference. Athlone, February 5-6.
Treacy, M. (2025). Current trends in Irish educational law. Irish National Teachers鈥 Organisation (INTO) Tipperary Principals and Deputy Principals鈥 Forum. Thurles, November 25.
Treacy, M. (2017). Exploring inquiry-based approaches to learning: implications for teachers and school leaders. Professional Development Service for Teachers Leadership Conference. Naas, 12-13 June.
Treacy, M. (2016). Digging deeper with school support: an exploration of sustained professional development. Professional Development Service for Teachers National Education Conference. Trim, 1-2 September.
Treacy, M. (2015). Developing problem solving skills across the primary school curriculum. Irish National Teachers鈥 Organisation (INTO) Education Consultative Conference: Primary School Curriculum - Have Your Say. Athlone, 13-14 November.
Treacy, M. (2015). Investigating the practicalities of inquiry-based approaches to learning: recommendations for classrooms. Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) National Education Conference. Athlone, 18 February.
Treacy, M. (2014) Exploring the development of reasoning skills: opportunities and challenges for teachers. Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) National Education Conference. Naas, 17-18 December.
Treacy, M. (2014). Effecting change in primary school mathematics classrooms. Professional Development for Primary School Inspectors. Department of Education and Skills, Dublin, 3-5 September.
Treacy, M. (2009). English as an additional language for mainstream class teachers. National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT) Professional Development Conference for Associates. Carlow, 19 November.
