STORMONT MINISTER for Justice David Ford has appointed a senior Ulster GAA official as an independent member of the policing board.
Ryan Feeney is head of community development, strategy and public affairs with the GAA’s Ulster Council. A former teacher, he previously served as president of St Mary’s University College students’ union. He holds masters degrees in Irish history, politics and law and governance.
Mr Feeney has said he is looking forward to his new role, stressing he will serve in an independent capacity rather than as an official spokesman for the GAA.
“I’m not going to be a GAA representative on the board,” Mr Feeney said. “But I have support from the leadership at Ulster level and the central level of the GAA – they’re very supportive of the decisions I have taken. But I’ve made it very clear to them that this is a civic role; it’s not a political role.”
The 19-member body, which oversees the PSNI, comprises 10 political representatives appointed by the parties at Stormont based on their relative strengths. The remainder is composed of independent members appointed by Mr Ford.
He said: “Effective policing has to be informed by the different voices across the entire community. The wide variety of background and experience represented by the political and independent members on this new board will ensure that all interests are taken into account.”
The DUP has appointed four Assembly Members: former junior minister Robin Newton and Jonathan Craig, Adrian McQuillan and Ian McCrea; Sinn Féin three: former senior and junior ministers Caitriona Ruane and Gerry Kelly, and West Belfast representative Pat Sheehan. The Ulster Unionist Party, the SDLP and for the first time the Alliance Party respectively appointed one member each: Ross Hussey, Conall McDevitt and Trevor Lunn.
Former chairmen of the board, Prof Sir Desmond Rea and Barry Gilligan are standing down. Only two of the previous independent members were reappointed: Brian Rea, the last acting chairman and a former DUP member, and Gearóid Ó hEara, a Sinn Féin member and former acting vice-chairman.
It will be for the board to elect a new chairman with Mr Ó hEara currently one of the favourites.
The other new independent members of the board are: Anne Connolly, recently retired as the director of planning and performance in Libraries Northern Ireland; Stuart MacDonnell, who has experience in public services and of strategic planning; Joan O’Hagan from the health sector; Brian Rowntree, chairman of the North’s Housing Executive; Michael Wardlow, a former member of the Alliance Party and a freelance consultant who works in the broad area of peace-building and reconciliation; and Deborah Watters, who is involved with a loyalist community restorative justice group and with the criminology department at Queen’s University, Belfast.