Slieve Gullion councillor appointed to Housing Executive board

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons MLA has appointed Cllr Finnegan, Councillor Stephen McIlveen – who is the DUP Group Leader on Ards and North Down Borough Council – and Mid-Ulster district councillor Deirdre Varsani as Board Members owith effect from 8 January 2025 until the next local council elections.

The Department of Communities said that this is in line with the statutory requirement to have four Board Members drawn from the Northern Ireland Housing Council. One member has already been appointed to the Board.

Cllr Finnegan has been a Sinn Fein Councillor for Slieve Gullion, Newry Mourne and Down Council since 2020.

A profile of her background said that “as a political adviser, she has gained experience of analysing information from a wide variety of sources and applying effective scrutiny and constructive challenge to decisions.

"She deals with a range of stakeholders on a regular basis, including government departments, local councils and elected representatives, to work towards shared goals and successful outcomes for her constituents.

"She holds no other public appointments.”

NIHE Board Members receive remuneration of £7,567 per annum for a minimum of one day per month.

The NIHE was established by the Housing Executive Act (NI) 1971. It is the overall housing authority for Northern Ireland with an overall annual budget of over £1.2bm and a staff of approximately 3,500.