Reappointment of Three District Council Representatives to the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service

The Department of Health today announced reappointments to the terms of three District Council Representatives to the Board of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS).

The reappointments of Councillors Robert Irvine, Cadwgan MacInnreactaigh (Cadogan Enright) and Peter Martin will commence on 1 September 2019 and end on a date not later than 31 August 2023. These appointments carry a time commitment of 3 days per month and attract an annual remuneration of £6,141. 

The NIFRS provides a range of fire and rescue services to the Northern Ireland population of 1.71 million covering an area of over 5,500 square miles.  It has 68 fire stations throughout Northern Ireland and is divided into four Area Commands which are supported by 14 Districts, strategically placed in order to create a community focus for NIFRS activities. NIFRS has a workforce of around 2,200 staff.

The 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. All three appointees have declared political activity. Robert Irvine as a UUP Councillor, Cadogan Enright as an Independent Councillor, and Peter Martin as a DUP Councillor. 

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

Notes to editors: 

1. Robert Irvine lives in County Fermanagh and has been a partner in R.J. Irvine, a quantity surveying and project management consultancy firm, since 1982. He has been an elected UUP local District Councillor since 2001 and currently sits as a member of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. He is also a member of the Western Local Commissioning Group, a committee of the Health and Social Care Board.

2. Cadwgan MacInnreactaigh (Cadogan Enright) was last elected to Newry Mourne and Down Council in May of 2019 as a non-party independent Councillor. He is a qualified accountant with a record of delivering large-scale information technology projects for multinational companies. He has many years of experience of successfully restructuring large companies in the private sector, delivering shared service solutions for multi-national companies arising from mergers and acquisitions. Councillor Enright is active in a wide range of local and national environmental organisations working for sustainable development and on environmental conservation projects. He has used his skills as an accountant to help both large governmental organisations and small community organisations transition to cheaper renewable solutions for their energy needs. He is a long-standing member of the Down Community Health Committee working on health-related issues in East Down and a member of the Strangford Lough Management Advisory Committee.

3. Peter Martin is a DUP Councillor in Ards and North Down Borough Council and works at Belfast Metropolitan College where he lectures in Business Strategy and Leadership. He has also served on the NIFRS Board as a Non-Executive for four years. Peter is passionate about changing the lives of young people in Northern Ireland and recently produced two policy papers, both of which were adopted by his party. In 2016 he wrote 'No Child Left Behind' aimed at tackling Educational Underachievement in Free School Meal boys. In 2018 he wrote another policy paper this time examining how we can improve the Mental Health of young people in Northern Ireland and specifically addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences - this report was called 'Hope for Every Child'. He is married to Melanie with three young children, Lucy, Sam and Zach. He attends West Presbyterian Church where he helps out on a Sunday with the pre-school children.

4. These reappointments have been made with the approval of the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health. There are no specific qualifications for appointment.
5. For media enquiries please contact the DoH Press Office 028 9052 0575 or email pressoffice@health-ni.gov.uk. Out-of-hours please contact the Duty Press Officer on 028 9037 8110.
6. Follow us on twitter @healthdpt

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