Reappointment of the Chair and the appointment of three Non Executive Directors to the Public Health Agency

The Department of Health announced today the reappointment of the Non- Executive Chair of the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the initial appointments of three Non-Executive Directors (2 Local Government Representatives & 1 Finance).

Mr Andrew Dougal’s reappointment as Non-Executive Chair, will commence on 1 December 2021 and will run to a date no later than 31 May 2023.  This re-appointment carries a time commitment of 3 days per week and attracts an annual remuneration of £36,177.  Three Non-Executive Directors have also been appointed, namely Councillor Robert Irvine, Councillor Philip Brett as Local Government Representative Directors and Mrs Anne Henderson as the Non- Executive (Finance) Director. All three appointments commenced on 12 October 2021 and will run to a date no later than 11 October 2025. These Non-Executive Director appointments each carries a time commitment of 5 days per month and attracts an annual remuneration of £9,678.

The PHA is a multi-disciplinary, multi-professional body, with a strong regional and local presence. The Agency was established to provide a renewed and enhanced focus on public health and wellbeing by bringing together a wide range of public health functions under one organisation. It is required to create better inter-sectoral working, including enhanced partnership with local government, to tackle the underlying causes of poor health and reduce health inequalities.

The PHA is managed directly by a board of directors which has corporate responsibility for its operation. The board of the PHA is made up of four Executive Directors including the Chief Executive, a Non-Executive Chair and seven Non-Executive Directors. The Non-Executive Directors include a Trade Union Representative, two Local Government Representatives, one Financial and three Lay Directors. 

This reappointment and appointments are made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland.

Notes to editors: 

1.  Andrew Dougal took up the position as chair of the PHA on 1st June 2015. He has been involved in public health for 38 years. From 1983 he was Chief Executive of the NI Chest Heart & Stroke and played a key role in securing a program for the reduction of deaths from coronary heart disease in Northern Ireland. He also promoted the establishment of stroke units as well as thrombolysis to combat stroke. He is a former non-executive director of Belfast community radio and of Belfast funeral directors O’Kane’s. He is a former treasurer and trustee of the World Heart Federation. He was awarded the OBE in 1996. He worked in education for 10 years including eight years as Bursar at St Louise’s comprehensive college. He is currently a Non-Executive Director of the Ulster Orchestra Foundation Board.
2. Anne Henderson is a former vice-chair of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and former chair of the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland.  She is a chartered accountant who has worked extensively in the private sector, with financial roles in Time Warner Inc., Los Angeles and London, and in the Belfast office of BDO Stoy Hayward. Anne has also served as a board member of the International Fund for Ireland, and as member of the audit committee of Queens University Belfast.
3. Councillor Robert Irvine has been a partner in R.J. Irvine, a quantity surveying and project management consultancy firm, since 1982. He has been an elected local District Councillor since 2001 and currently sits as a member of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. In his role as a councillor, he sits on various committees, notably the Planning Committee and the Local Development Plan Steering Group of which he has been chair since 2015. In the recent past he has been a member of the Western Local Commissioning Group, a committee of the Health and Social Care Board, the Western Education & Library Board and several school and college Boards of Governors. He currently holds one other public appointment as a Non- Executive Board Member of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. (NIFRS) which commenced on 1^st September 2015. His remuneration for this NIFRS post is £6,406 per annum for 3 days per month.
4. Councillor Philip Brett entered Local Government in 2013, becoming the youngest Councillor to ever serve on Newtownabbey Borough Council. Following the re-organisation of Local Government in 2014, he has served as Group Leader of the Democratic Unionist party on Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council. He has worked for the Democratic Unionist Party in both Belfast and London. He is a former Board Member of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
5.   This PHA Chair reappointment and three Non-Executive appointments have been made with the approval of the Health Minister.
6.   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.  Both Andrew Dougal and Anne Henderson have declared that they have not engaged in any political activity in the last five years. Councillor Robert Irvine is a member of the Ulster Unionist Party and Councillor Philip Brett is a member of the Democratic Unionist Party.  
7. With the exception of Councillor Robert Irvine, as detailed above, all the appointees have advised that they do not currently hold any other Ministerial Public Appointments.
8. For media enquiries please contact DOH Press Office by email pressoffice@health-ni.gov.uk.
9. For out of office please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07623 974383.
10. Follow us on twitter @healthdpt
11. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for Media Enquiries Only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The Duty Press Officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

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