The Department for the Economy has announced extensions to the terms of office for a number of board members of public bodies sponsored by the Department.
Labour Relations Agency
Marie Mallon’s appointment as Chair of the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) has been extended for five months from 1 August 2017 until 31 December 2017. Alison Millar’s tenure as a member of the board has been extended for four months from 1 September 2017 to 31 December 2017.
Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI)
The tenures of Tom Wright and Harry Sinclair have been extended by four months from 1 September 2017 to 31 December 2017.
The extensions were made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland.
Notes to editors:
1. The LRA is a non-departmental public body with responsibility for promoting the improvement of employment relations in Northern Ireland. The LRA contributes to organisational effectiveness by providing impartial and independent services for promoting good employment practices and preventing and resolving disputes. Chair remuneration is currently £24,190 per annum with a time commitment of six days per month. Remuneration for a board member is currently £5,252 per annum with a time commitment of at least one day per month.
2. HSENI is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) with Crown status, funded by grant-in-aid from the Department for the Economy. Its mission is to ensure that risks to people’s health and safety arising from work activities are effectively controlled. Board members receive remuneration of £3,850 per annum with a time commitment of 18 days.
3. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments, Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees (if any declared) to be published. The extendees have all declared no political activity.
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Labour Relations Agency
Marie Mallon
Marie Mallon was appointed to the Chair of the Labour Relations Agency with effect from 1 August 2014 following her retirement from the post of Deputy Chief Executive/Director of HR in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. Prior to this Marie held many senior posts within Health and Social Care and was a member of the Industrial and Fair Employment Tribunals for 15 years. Marie also sat as an independent member on the Departmental Boards of DCAL for five years and DFI for six months.
She is currently an associate of the Health and Social Care Leadership Centre and also undertakes independent HR consultancy.
Alison Millar
Alison Millar is the General Secretary of the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA). She has overall responsibility for the general work of the union as well as the management of all the staff and finances of the union. Alison is the key representative on many of the civil and public service negotiating bodies. Alison was previously the Deputy General Secretary for NIPSA and had responsibility for major policy issues including Welfare Reform, Review of Public Administration and matters relevant to the Health Service, Education, Libraries, Housing Executive and Local Government. Alison is also the lead negotiator on the Public Service Shared Service Programme which is a cross cutting initiative arising out of the Fresh Start Agreement. She is a Vice-President of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and a member of the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
HSENI
Tom Wright
Tom Wright retired as acting deputy chief fire officer from the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service in 2011 after 33 years’ service. He is an elected Fellow of the Institution of Fire Engineers and also an elected Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management. He graduated from the University of Ulster in 2000 with a Masters Degree in business administration and in 2010 successfully completed the Executive Critical Leadership Development Programme at Queens University.
Tom is a former board member of Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service and currently sits on the board of governors of Oakwood Integrated Primary School (no remuneration – travelling expenses only).
Harry Sinclair
Harry Sinclair is a livestock farmer from Co. Londonderry. He was active in Young Farmers for many years and then became involved in the Ulster Farmers Union where he served as president from 2012 to 2014, and then went on to serve as a vice president of COPA, a collective of 57 farming unions from across all the member states of the European Union.
During his time as president, farm safety was one of his priorities, and he was one of the initial drivers in the establishment of the Farm Safety Partnership.
Harry also serves as a board member of the Livestock and Meat Commission with remuneration of £6,485 per annum.
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