Mary is a Director of The HR Brief Limited, a company specialising in providing professional management consultancy services to companies in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Employment and Data Compliance. She is a practising barrister, specialising in Employment and Privacy/Data Protection Law, Compliance and Corporate Governance. 

Graduating from Trinity College Dublin and Kings Inns in law, psychology and philosophy; she is a legal advisor to a number of organisations and professional bodies, employers and special interest groups, as well as representing the interests of individuals. 

Mary, who has formerly owned and overseen childcare provision, provides a series of lectures for the Dublin City Child Care Committee in childcare preschool regulation compliance, policy and procedures and childcare services supervision. She has worked with Childcare services as a Mentor with the Dublin City Childcare Committee.

Previously before been nominated to Seanad Eireann Mary had advised and written submissions for the Constitutional Convention as well as working as a Parliamentary Advisor to Government TDs.

In the 2020 Seanad Elections, Mary was nominated by An Taoiseach to contest for the Labour Panel and was subsequently appointed by the Taoiseach to Seanad Eireann in June 2020 when the Government was formed. Mary is a Senator in the 26th Seanad Eireann and the spokesperson on Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth.  She serves on the Joint Oireachtas Committees for

(1) Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth;
(2) Housing, Local Government and Heritage and
(3) Disability Matters. 

She is currently serving on the Special Joint Oireachtas Committee on Drug use and in 2023 served on the Assisted Dying Committee and in 2022 served on the Special Joint Committee on International Surrogacy.

Mary passionately believes in a just society for all those who live in our Republic, and particularly advocates for the rights and supports for those most marginalised. She believes in targeted supports to those most in need of it to ensure an equality of opportunity for everyone.