Bishop of Clonfert John Kirby (73) is chairman of Trocaire and often speaks on behalf of the charity.
He has held position since 1993.
In this role he met with Aung San Suu Kyi during her brief visit to Ireland earlier this year.
Dr Kirby, a native of Baylough in Athlone, Co Westmeath, was ordained in 1963.
Following this he was appointed to St Joseph's College, Garbally, Co Galway, where he taught mathematics and religion before becoming president and principal in 1979.
Dr Kirby was appointed Bishop of Clonfert in 1988.
In 2010, Dr Kirby was among a group of bishops who met with Pope Benedict in the Vatican to discuss the Murphy Report on Clerical Child Sexual Abuse in the Dublin diocese.
The bishop called for an updating of Canon Law, stating that the hierarchy in Rome had not appreciated the gravity of the problem for many years because of an 'obligation of secrecy'.
He later said he was "saddened" that abuse survivors were disappointed with the outcome of the meeting, adding: "Perhaps their expectations were too high."
In 2008, Dr Kirby voiced his public support for the open disclosure of files relating to paedophile priests.
He said: "The bottom line is that we (the Catholic bishops) are going to do all we can to ensure maximum transparency to get this issue out, and open and clear, once and for all. That for me, and I think for all the bishops, is the bottom line."
But Dr Kirby previously found himself at the centre of controversy over the housing of accused priests.
He refused to remove two accused priests from the Redemptorist retreat centre at Esker, Co Galway, in 2010.
A strong recommendation for the removal of the two men from the centre, which was attended by young people, was made by a lay group who had been appointed by Dr Kirby to address child protection.
But despite this, Dr Kirby opted to allow the men to remain at the centre for more than a month.