Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir has welcomed seven new members to the Procurement Board which he Chairs for the first time today.
The minister said: “Each year the Executive spends over £2 billion buying goods and services, and investing in infrastructure from our roads and colleges, to our hospitals and homes.
“The Procurement Board has a key role to play in ensuring that this formidable spending power is used to deliver on the Executive’s common purpose of a prosperous and shared society.”
The Minister continued: “I want this Board to do things differently; to ensure a level playing field for SMEs, to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, to benefit the long-term unemployed and other underserved people, and to promote architectural and artistic excellence.”
“To help the Board in this ambitious task I am appointing external advisers from the business community, the community sector, trade unions, and academia. They will bring fresh thinking and challenge traditional approaches in order to ensure that procurement delivers the transformation the Executive aspires to.”
Notes to editors:
- The Procurement Board is responsible to the Executive and accountable to the Northern Ireland Assembly for the development, dissemination and co-ordination of public procurement policy and practice.
- The Board is chaired by the Finance Minister. Membership of the Board comprises the Head of Civil Service, Permanent Secretaries of the nine Departments, the Chief Executives of CPD and the Strategic Investment Board.
- The new advisers appointed to the Board are:
Ms Lisa McElherron (Head of Public Affairs at NICVA)
Professor Ruth Fee (Head of the School of Criminology, Politics and Social Policy at Ulster University)
Ms Rhona Quinn (President of the Construction Employer’s Federation and a founding member of QMAC)
Ms Emer Hinphey (HR and talent development professional, partner in Think People Consulting, and Director of Positive Life charity)
Mr Stephen Kane (Chair of the Construction Industry Group and Managing Director of Ridgeway Renewables in Belfast. He also represents the Hire Association Europe)
Mr Colin Maxwell (artist and Associate Strategic Adviser on community regeneration at the Strategic Investment Board. He is also an architect and former director of Consarc Design Group)
Mr Paul Mac Flynn (Economist at Nevin Economic Research institute) - Sign up to receive the weekly Minister’s News featuring latest updates from Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, Finance Minister.
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