Appointments to the Board of the NI Housing Executive

Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons MLA, has appointed Councillor Keith Kerrigan, Councillor Paul McCusker and Councillor Cathal Mallaghan as Board Members of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) with effect from 1 March 2024 until the next local council election

The Minister has also reappointed Mr John McMullan as the Vice-Chair of the NIHE Board from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2029. Mr McMullan has served as the Vice-Chair from 1 April 2019.

The NIHE was established by the Housing Executive Act (NI) 1971 to take over the housing responsibilities of the 65 separate housing authorities that existed at that time. It is now the overall housing authority for Northern Ireland with a budget of over £740m and a staff of approximately 2,700. 

Notes to editors: 

1. NIHE Board Member receives remuneration of £6,890 per annum for a commitment of one to two days per month. The Vice-Chair receives remuneration of £16,150 per annum for a commitment of 1 day per week.
2. These appointments have been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland’s (CPA NI) Code of Practice. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, CPA NI requires the political activity of appointees to be published.
3. Councillor Kerrigan is a Democratic Unionist Party elected representative in the Derry City and Strabane District Council, and sits on its Policing and Community Safety Partnership Board. He is actively involved in a number of local community groups and organisations. He brings a range of and experiences to the board including strategic vision and decision-making skills. He does not currently hold any other public appointments.
4. Councillor McCusker is an Independent elected representative for Belfast City Council. He sits on number of Council Committees including the Belfast Waterfront and Ulster Hall Ltd Shareholders Committee, is a Member of the Cathedral Quarter Trust in Belfast and founded the charity Peoples Kitchen Belfast. He has experience in grassroots support and regeneration projects, skills of which he brings to the Board.  He does not currently hold any other public appointments.
5. Councillor Mallaghan is a Sinn Fein elected representative in the Mid Ulster Council, where he is the Group Leader. She sits on the Council’s Environment and Planning Committees. He is a director of a local agricultural and farming company, and former Member of the Libraries NI Board. He brings change management, organisational direction and programme management skills to the Board. He does not currently hold any other public appointments.
6. Mr McMullan is the former Chief Executive Officer of Bryson Charitable Group, a business he developed from a traditional charity into a modernised fit for purpose Social Enterprise, delivering a range of social purposed services in NI, GB and RoI. He holds voluntary roles on a number of boards including as Chair of Social Enterprise NI and The Bank of England NI Citizen’s Panel. He has declared no political activity in the last five years, and he holds no other public appointments.
7. For media enquiries please contact the Department for Communities Press Office
8. Follow the Department on Twitter @CommunitiesNI
9. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekend and public holidays.

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