Appointment of new Board of the International Fund for Ireland

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Micheál Martin, T.D., has announced the appointment of a new Board of the International Fund for Ireland. The appointment has been made jointly by the Irish and British Governments.

Fund Chairman, Mr. Denis Rooney, is re-appointed as are two of the outgoing Board, Ms Mary Southwell and Mrs. Anne Henderson. In addition, Mr. Winston Patterson, Chairman of Strabane/Lifford Development Commission; Ms Rose-Mary Farrell who is active in a wide range of community activities in Co Louth;  Dr Adrian Johnston, Seagate Technologies, Derry; and Mr. David Graham, former Chief Executive of Fane Valley Foods in Armagh have joined the Board .

Minister Martin paid tribute to outgoing Board members, Ms Deirdre Ryan, Ms Anne Bonner, Mr. Jackie Hewitt and Mr. John McDaid for their service to the International Fund over the past six years.

‘Each of the outgoing Board members has made a huge contribution to the Fund’s work’ he said.

‘Their personal commitment to the Fund has been remarkable and allied with their wide-ranging experience and expertise, has been of great assistance to the Fund in helping to implement its many varied and innovative programmes.  Their contribution to this work has indeed helped in the process of reconciliation between the communities in Northern Ireland and in increasing cooperation between both parts of the island of Ireland’.

The Minister also welcomed the appointment of the four new Board members.

‘I am very happy that that these high calibre people have agreed to join the Fund Board at this important time and I have no doubt that they will play an important part in the valuable work of the Fund in grassroots cross-community and cross-border activity’ he said.

The new Board of the International Fund for Ireland:

  Mr. Denis Rooney, Chairman 
  Ms. Mary Southwell
  Ms. Rose-Mary Farrell
  Mr. Winston Patterson
Mrs. Anne Henderson
  Dr. Adrian Johnston
  Mr. David Graham
Ends
Press Office, 5th March 2009

Note for editors

The International Fund for Ireland is an international organisation established by the Irish and British Governments in 1986 with the objective of promoting economic and social advance and of encouraging contact, dialogue and reconciliation between Nationalists and Unionists throughout Ireland.  Contributors to the Fund are the United States, the European Union, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Since its inception, the Fund has committed more than €845m  to a wide variety of projects in Northern Ireland and the border counties.

The Fund’s budget for 2009 is EUR €32.2m. Funding priorities include grassroots-level reconciliation and cross-community projects. In addition, the Fund seeks to address the root causes of deprivation in the most disadvantaged areas by using shared economic concerns as a platform for regeneration and cross-community activity. The Fund will also continue its pioneering work with children and young people throughout the Northern Ireland and the Southern border counties.

Mr Rooney, Mrs Henderson and Ms Southwell who were Members of the previous Board have been reappointed for a further term.  The retiring Members of the previous Board are Mr Hewitt, Mr McDaid, Ms Bonner and Ms Ryan.

Mr Rooney has recently retired from multi-disciplinary practice in the construction industry and retains business interests in Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Ms Southwell is a HR Consultant based in Dublin.

Ms Farrell is currently based in Dundalk and is engaged in a wide range of community activities in Co Louth.

Mr Patterson is based in Donegal and is Chairman of Strabane/Lifford Development Commission and has interests in the voluntary and community sector.

Mrs Henderson is a Chartered Accountant and Vice-Chair of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

Dr Johnston is currently an Engineer with Seagate and based in Derry.

Mr Graham is the retired Chief Executive of Fane Valley and has had business interests in Ireland.