Gina Plunkett

Gina Plunkett, BA econ., Barrister at Law (BL)

Gina is Chairperson of Chronic Pain Ireland (CPI), a patient support group providing information and support for people living with Chronic Pain.

Gina was a practicing Barrister in Dublin, Ireland for 13 years when in 1996 as she was driving her two young children (aged 2 & 5) home she was hit from behind by a truck. Fortunately her two young children were unhurt but this accident would subsequently change Gina’s life completely.

Gina, who would not have seen herself working in a voluntary capacity, decided to see if she could help others living with chronic pain and in 2003 joined, what was then the Irish Chronic Pain Association, now renamed Chronic Pain Ireland. For the past nine years Gina has dedicated herself to the organisation and in particular has overseen the development of   CPI Workshops where people with chronic pain can develop self management techniques.

From her own experiences Gina was more than aware of the serious deficits in Ireland’s healthcare system and of the need to have chronic pain recognised as a disease in its own right and also as a medical speciality.

Gina is also involved at a European level, lobbying MEPs , to have Chronic Pain recognised as a serious healthcare issue.