The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Hilary Benn MP, has announced the reappointment of Geraldine McGahey as Chief Commissioner of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
Background
The Equality Commission was established in 1999, as part of the implementation of the 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 is responsible for policing the Statutory Duty on all public authorities in Northern Ireland to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity across a range of areas including religion, political opinion, gender, race, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability and those with and without dependants. 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
Biography of Appointee
Geraldine was appointed as Chief Commissioner in March 2020. She is a former Chief Executive of Larne Borough Council, SOLACE gender champion and represented local government on various regional fora including the Good Relations Panel, Flags Forum, Social Investment Fund and the Review of Public Administration.
Geraldine has also previously served as a member of the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland from 2016 through to 2020 and as a Non-Executive Director of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust from 2016 to 2020. In 2015 she was awarded the OBE for services to local Government and the Community.
Terms of Appointment
- This position is for a period of five years ending on 28 February 2030.
- The arrangements for remuneration and pension are matters for The Executive Office but the position is aligned to the NICS SCS pay scale 1.
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.
Geraldine McGahey has declared that she has not been politically active in the past five years.
Regulation
This appointment is regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointment (OCPA).
Statutory Requirements
The Secretary of State makes appointments to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland in accordance with the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
