Economy Minister Dr has announced the
reappointment of two members to the Board of Tourism Northern
Ireland.
Linda MacHugh and Ciaran O'Neill have been appointed to serve as
members from 8 August 2026 for a period of up to three years.
The appointments have been made in accordance with the
Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland Code of
Practice.
Notes to editors:
- Pen picture Linda MacHugh - Linda recently retired after 18
years as a senior civil servant, during which she held a number
of positions. These positions included Director of Urban
Regeneration Policy, Principal Private Secretary to the First
Minister, Director of Water and Drainage Policy, and Director of
Corporate Support Services in the Department for Infrastructure
(DfI). She also led the Local Government Reform Programme
and was Acting Deputy Secretary in DfI. Prior to joining
the Civil Service, Linda worked to support the textiles and
clothing sector as Director of the NI Textiles & Apparel
Association and the Irish Linen Guild. She also spent
eleven years as a Trustee of the Meningitis Research
Foundation. She currently holds no other public
appointments.
- Pen picture - Ciaran O'Neill - With a career spanning over 38
years in the hospitality sector, Ciaran O'Neill is a graduate of
the Northern Ireland Catering College, Portrush. Currently,
he is Managing Director at the Bishop's Gate Hotel Derry, an
award-winning establishment opened in 2016. Beyond his
professional achievements, Ciaran has made lasting contributions
to the industry landscape. A decade of service on the Board
of Visit Derry reflects his dedication to promoting tourism and
its growth. His 14-year tenure on the Board of the Northern
Ireland Hotels Federation culminated in his role as President in
2016. Ciaran's dedication extends to nurturing future
talent in the tourism sector through his previous roles as Chair
of the Hospitality and Tourism Skills Network (HATs) and his
commitment to Education as Chairperson of the Board of Governors
at St Cecilia's College for 7 years. He currently holds no
other public appointments.
- Remuneration for the post is £6,272, non-pensionable, with
additional days remunerated accordingly for Chairs of the
Sub-committees. Members are eligible to claim allowances,
at Northern Ireland Civil Service rates, for travel and
subsistence costs necessarily incurred on official business.
- Tourism Northern Ireland (TNI) is the trading name of the
Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB). NITB is a statutory
Non-Departmental Public Body originally established under the
Development of Tourist Traffic Act (NI) 1948. Its constitution
and continuation were affirmed in the Tourism (NI) Order 1992.
- All appointments are made on merit and political activity
plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner
for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland and in accordance
with the original Nolan recommendations requires the political
activity of appointees (if any declared) to be published. Neither
of the appointees have carried out any political activity in the
past five years.
- The Department also recently advertised for new members to
the Board of Tourism NI. The competition closed on 14
Aug. The process is ongoing and an announcement on
appointments will be made in due course.
