Minister appoints interim Chairman to Board of NI Water

Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy today announced the appointment of Padraic White as interim Chair of the Board of NI Water (NIW).

The appointment will be for an initial period of up to nine months, until a permanent appointment process is conducted and while all future long-term governance arrangements of water and sewerage services are re-examined.

Padraic White will join the four recently appointed interim non-executive directors, Peter Bunting, Lawson McDonald, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir and Kevin Steele, as well as Don Price, who remains on the Board.

The Minister said: “I welcome the appointment of Padraic White who will bring his wealth of skills and experience to bear in providing a steadying influence on the Board of NIW following what has been a difficult time for the organisation.”

Padraic White is a former managing director of the Industrial Development Authority of Ireland. Since then he has chaired the boards of a wide range of private, public and community bodies. In addition he is currently chairperson of community regeneration projects in both Belfast and Dublin. He was the first chairman of the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) [2002- 2007], an agency responsible for developing Light Rail and Metro transport. It introduced Ireland’s first light rail system (LUAS) in Dublin which has proved a big success both with passengers and commercially.

A successful author on Irish economic development, he has advised governments throughout the world on the promotion of foreign direct investment. His wife, Senator Mary White, Fianna Fail, was elected to the Senate in the Irish Parliament in July 2002 and re-elected in July 2007.

Notes to editors:

1. NI Water is the sole provider of water and sewerage services with more than 800,000 domestic, agricultural, commercial and business customers.
2. The non-executive directors have been appointed by the Minister by an emergency process. Although the Department discussed the process with the Commissioner for Public Appointments (CPANI) it is classified as an exception to the Code of Practice.
3. The appointment of the Chairman will mean that there will be a total of six non-executive Directors on the NIW Board.
4. The Chairman will be paid £40,000 per annum on the basis of 3-4 days attendance per month. An additional per diem allowance may be payable subject to an overall maximum of £45,000 per annum.
5. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for the political activity of appointees to be published.
6. Mr White has declared that he has not carried out any political activity in the North in the last five years.
7. All media queries to: Department for Regional Development Press Office, Tel 028 9054 0004. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.