Minister Storey appoints new Housing Executive Board members

Social Development Minister, Mervyn Storey MLA, has appointed four Housing Council members to the Board of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

The four members appointed are Alderman Bill Keery MBE, Councillor Hazel Legge, Councillor Phillip Brett and Councillor Catherine Elattar.

Announcing the appointments, the Minister said: “Providing access to decent, affordable, sustainable homes as well as housing services, is one of my Department’s top strategic objectives. The Housing Executive, with its stock of almost 90,000 homes and its statutory role in identifying and addressing housing need, has a key role in achieving this aim.

“The new appointees will have an important role to play in delivering for the people of Northern Ireland. The role will be both rewarding and challenging and I wish the new Board members well in their new positions.”

The appointments will take effect from 1 November 2015 to 31 March 2019 or until such other date as the Department may determine. Remuneration is £6,740 per annum.

Notes to editors: 

1. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive is a Non-Departmental Public Body, established by the Housing Executive Act (Northern Ireland) 1971. Under this Act, the Housing Executive took over the housing responsibilities of 65 separate authorities and became Northern Ireland’s overall housing authority. The Housing Executive is also one of Northern Ireland’s largest public sector organisations. With a net expenditure of £841million in 2013/14 and a staff of approximately 3,000, the Housing Executive makes a substantial contribution to better health, education and wellbeing through housing
2. The Northern Ireland Housing Council currently hold four places on the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) Board as defined in Schedule 1 of the Housing (NI) Order 1981
3. The appointments have been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland’s Code of Practice. A selection panel which included an independent panel member, as required under the Commissioner’s Code, considered the suitability of all candidates. The final decision on the appointments rested with the Minister
4. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees to be published
5. Alderman Bill Keery MBE is involved in youth work for which he was awarded the MBE in 1993. He is a Democratic Unionist Party member on Ards and North Down Borough Council. He holds no other public appointments
6. Councillor Hazel Legge is Chair of the Board of Governors of Dundonald High School and also on the Board of Governors of Dundonald Primary School. She is an Ulster Unionist Party member on Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council and serves on the Governance & Audit and Leisure & Community Development Committees. She holds no other public appointments
7. Councillor Phillip Brett is a Democratic Unionist Party member on Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council. He serves as Chairman on the Council’s Community Planning Committee. He holds no other public appointments
8. Councillor Catherine Elattar is a midwife with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust. She is a Sinn Fein member on Mid Ulster District Council and also a member of the Policy & Resources Committee and the Development Committee. She holds no other public appointments
9. The skills and knowledge that the Board members will bring to the role include an understanding of the overall aims of Government policies in Northern Ireland as they affect housing issues along with practical experience and understanding of corporate governance, accounting and financial management
10. Media enquiries to DSD Press Office on 028 9082 9233. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Office via pager number 07699715440 and your call will be returned

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