Infrastructure Minister Appoints Three Non-Executive (Specialist) Members to the Drainage Council Northern Ireland

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has appointed Mrs Maureen Brunt and Dr Alex McGarel for second terms and Mr Jim Martin for a first term, to serve as Non-Executive Members on the Drainage Council NI, representing the specialist areas of Agriculture, Conservation and Drainage, respectively.

The appointments took effect from 1 July 2025 and will be for a maximum of four years.

Minister Kimmins said: “I am pleased to announce the appointments to these key roles. The Drainage Council performs the hugely important scrutiny function of our drainage and flood defences across the North and I am confident that these appointments will maintain the high standard of work set by previous Members.”

The Drainage Council is a non-Departmental Public Body established under the Drainage (NI) Order 1973. It performs a general scrutiny role in relation to the Department's drainage functions and has a statutory duty to ensure uniformity of treatment on drainage issues throughout the North. This includes overseeing the impartial and consistent application of drainage and flood defence works, and designating watercourses and sea defences for maintenance at public expense.

Notes to editors:

1. The power to appoint members to the Drainage Council lies solely with the Minister for Infrastructure as stipulated under schedule 1 to the Drainage (Northern Ireland) Order 1973 rather than the Department. 
2. The Department's responsibilities include the management of flood risk. This involves undertaking watercourse and coastal flood management in a sustainable manner. The Drainage Council exists to perform a general scrutiny role in relation to the Department's drainage functions and has a statutory duty to ensure uniformity of treatment on drainage issues throughout Northern Ireland. The Council's membership is set out in legislation (Schedule 1 of the Drainage (Northern Ireland) Order 1973.
3. The Drainage Council Northern Ireland consists of 10 representatives from local Councils, two ex-officio members who are officials within the Department and one ‘specialist' representative for each of the following: drainage; agriculture; fisheries; industry; conservation; and tourism.
4. The appointments have been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland Code of Practice.
5. The appointments are non-remunerated.
6. The Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees to be published. All appointees have declared that they have not undertaken any political activity.  All appointments are made on merit, and political activity plays no part in the selection process.
7. Biographies
   
   Maureen Brunt - Agriculture
   Maureen Brunt has over 25 years' experience in community development. She was first appointed as the Drainage Council's Agriculture representative in 2021. She currently works as a development consultant and freelance life coach. She has a BSc (Hons) Psychology from the University of Derby where she won Futures Award Student of the Year (2021).  Maureen currently serves as an Equality Commissioner (remunerated at £5,030 per annum), as a Non-Executive Director of the Probation Board NI (remunerated at £5,000 per annum) and as a governor of South West College (remunerated at £350 per meeting, circa six per year). She is an active volunteer with Trillick Enterprise Centre as well as an accredited Methodist local preacher. Maureen manages her family's dairy farm and property interests.  She has no other public appointments.
   
   Jim Martin - Drainage
   Jim Martin is a retired Chartered Civil Engineer with extensive experience at senior management level in the design, construction and maintenance of drainage and flood risk management infrastructure.  As well as designing and supervising construction of flood alleviation works, he has liaised with the four devolved administrations and the Office of Public Works in Dublin (OPW) to develop national guidance on management of flood risk infrastructure and culvert design. Through his liaison with various universities, he has also developed a post graduate qualification programme to further develop local expertise in flood risk management.  He has no other public appointments.
   
   Dr Alex McGarel – Conservation
   Dr Alex McGarel recently retired from the Northern Ireland Assembly. She commenced her career as a research fellow with the Queen's University, Belfast before becoming a commodity secretary with the Ulster Farmers' Union and subsequently a freshwater policy officer with WWF Northern Ireland.  She is a previous member of the Drainage Council from 2005 – 2008 and has also served on the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside and the Northern Ireland Food Advisory Committee of the Food Standards Agency.  She has no other current public appointments.