The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt. Hon Karen Bradley MP, today announced that she has appointed Lindsay Todd as Chair, Mark McBride as Independent Member and Paddy Mackel as Employee Representative Member to the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC). In the absence of Northern Ireland Ministers, these appointments were made possible by the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018.
These appointments will take effect from 1 May and will ensure that NILGOSC can continue to operate the Local Government Pension Scheme for Northern Ireland.
The Secretary of State said:
"My absolute priority is to see the restoration of the Executive at the earliest opportunity.
In the interim my responsibility is to ensure good governance and stable public services in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland.
I am therefore pleased to make these appointments so that the Committee can continue to maintain what is one of the largest fully funded public sector pension schemes in the UK."
NOTES FOR EDITORS The Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC) The Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC) was established in April 1950 to operate a pension scheme for the local councils and other similar bodies in Northern Ireland. The pension scheme is a defined benefit pension scheme. NILGOSC is the corporate body responsible for the administration of the Scheme and is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Communities.
Terms of appointment The position of Chair attracts remuneration of £13,580 per year, plus travel and subsistence allowances, for a minimum commitment of 25 days per year. The member positions do not attract a salary but are eligible for a daily allowance of £123 for a minimum commitment of two days per month. These appointments have been made for a term of four years.
Biography of Appointees Lindsay Todd - Mr Todd has lengthy experience in the pension fund industry and was, until his retirement, a partner in PWC, the professional services firm. He currently serves on the NI Judicial Appointments Commission, for which he receives £294 per day, the advisory committee to the NI Central Investment Fund for Charities and is a member of the Development Board at Marie Curie NI. He is a member of the Investment Committee at Queen's University Belfast, a member of the Northern Ireland Investment Fund Scrutiny Board and the Disciplinary Panel of the Chartered Accountants' Regulatory Board in Ireland.
Mark McBride - Mr McBride is the Head of Finance and Performance at Belfast City Council. He is also a Council Member and Trustee of the Association of Accounting Technicians, having previously served as the Chair of its Resources Board and Remuneration Committee. He has experience in setting and implementing long-term plans and strategies, whilst supporting a range of stakeholders within the Council by the provision of information to support decisions reached. Mr McBride has responsibility for the payroll service in the Council, and brings this experience to the Committee.
Paddy Mackel - Mr Mackel has been a long-term trade union representative for the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA), where he has responsibility for leading a team of Negotiating Officials who provide a service to thousands of members, and is a Trustee of NIPSA's Pension Scheme. He has experience of lobbying political parties, establishing campaign groups and leading in negotiations. He is a current member of the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and has been President of the Belfast and District Trades Union Council since 2010. He has been a member of the Management Committee of the Belfast Unemployed Recourse Centre (BURC) for the past 20 years and has been Treasurer of BURC for the last 4 years.
CPANI Code of Practice The appointment process for the appointment of Chair and Vice Chair has been regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointment NI (CPANI) and the appointments have been made in accordance with the CPANI Code of Practice.
Political Activity All independent appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, CPANI requires the political activity of appointees to be published. The appointees have had no political activity during the last five years.
Statutory Requirements Provision for NILGOSC is set out in the Local Government Pension Scheme (Administration) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009. In October 2018, the Secretary of State for NI introduced legislation in Parliament; the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018 received Royal Assent on 1 November. This legislation provides for the appointment to a number of public offices by the Secretary of State. The NI (Ministerial Appointment Functions) Regulations 2019 came into force on 18 February 2019. This Instrument provides for further critical appointments, including that of NILGOSC.
