PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State makes appointments to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 20 February 2023.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Chris Heaton-Harris MP, has appointed six Commissioners to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Neil Anderson, Lisa Caldwell,  Duane Farrell, Jarlath Kearney, Carmel McKinney and Stephen Matthews will take up their appointments with effect from 1 March 2023.

Background

The Equality Commission was established in 1999, as part of the implementation of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. It took over the functions of the Fair Employment Commission, Equal Opportunities Commission, and Council for Racial Equality and Northern Ireland Disability Council.

The Commission’s powers and duties derive from a number of statutes which have been enacted over the last decades, providing protection against discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, race, religion and political opinion, sex and sexual orientation. It also has responsibilities arising from the Northern Ireland Act 1998 in respect of the statutory equality and good relations duties which apply to public authorities.

In addition, the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 gave new powers to the Commission, effective from 1 January 2021, to monitor, advise and report on, and enforce the Government’s commitment to no diminution of certain rights, as set out in Article 2 of the Protocol.

The Commission is funded and sponsored by The Executive Office. Further information about the work of the Commission can be found at: https://www.equalityni.org/Home

Terms of appointment

• These positions are part-time for a period of three years ending on 28 February 2026.
• The positions receive a fixed annual remuneration of £5,000.
• The positions are not pensionable.

Biography of Appointees

Neil Anderson was formerly the Head of NSPCC in Northern Ireland. Neil has a career history of general management and HR across a variety of organisations and sectors. He is currently the Deputy Chief Commissioner (DCC) at the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Lisa is Director of External Affairs at Belfast City Council. Previously, she was Head of Communications and Engagement at the Social Security Agency, Northern Ireland. She is a Fulbright Scholar and Fellow at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). Lisa previously acted as Secretary for Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland and Treasurer of CIPR Northern Ireland Committee and currently sits as member for Northern Ireland on the board of the FundRaising Regulatory.

Duane Farrell has been working in the Community and Voluntary sector in Northern Ireland for over 20 years. During that time, he has worked within the LGBT community, as well as with older people and children and young people. In these roles, he has developed services, led campaigns and worked to influence legislation and policy. Currently he is the Chief Executive of Relate NI.

Jarlath Kearney is a strategy advisor in the public sector. Currently a regular columnist with The Irish News, he has previously served as a Board Member of the Arts Council NI, Special Advisor to the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Ministerial Policy Advisor in the NI Assembly and a National Expert for the European Commission’s TAIEX Programme in relation to public institutional transformation and legislative reform in the Balkans.

Carmel McKinney has held a number of senior roles in education, including Chair of the Belfast Education and Library Board. She is currently Chair of the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service Board and an independent member of the Policing Board.

Stephen Matthews is a former Chief Executive of The Cedar Foundation. Stephen previously served as an Equality Commissioner and was a member of the Audit Committee and rotating chair of the Legal Funding Committee. He also represented the Commission on the Independent Mechanism monitoring UNCRPD Implementation and is an NI Advisor for the Henry Smith Charity.

Political Activity

All appointments are made on merit and with regards to the statutory requirements. Political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories to be made public. All of the appointees have declared that they have not been politically active in the last five years.

Regulation

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointment (OCPA) regulates appointments to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Statutory Requirements

The Secretary of State makes appointments to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland in accordance with the Northern Ireland Act 1998.