Engaging the Northern Ireland Assembly 2020
New Decade, New Approach

Mark Devenport is BBC Northern Ireland’s Political Editor. Mark has reported for the BBC since the 1980s and worked as the Corporation’s Ireland Correspondent throughout the 1990s, including at the time of the Good Friday Agreement. Previously, Mark worked as the BBC’s United Nations Correspondent based in New York and has reported from around the globe. Mark is the author of two books, Man of War, Man of Peace, a biography of Gerry Adams (co-author with David Sharrock) and Flash Frames, an anecdotal account of working as a reporter in Belfast.

Jonathan Tonge is Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool. He was Principal Investigator of the 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019 Economic and Social Research Council Northern Ireland General Election studies. Books include co-authored membership studies of the Democratic Unionist Party and the Ulster Unionist Party in The Ulster Unionist Party: Country Before Party?, Sinn Féin and the SDLP and the Orange Order in Loyal to the Core: Orangeism and Britishness in Northern Ireland. Jon co-edits the journal Parliamentary Affairs. He has edited studies of the last six general elections in the Britain Votes series, published by Oxford University Press.

David Fry is an Associate in Strategic Communications at Gravis Planning. In this role he manages community consultation for major projects as well as advising clients on engagement with a variety of audiences – from political to the media to community groups. Before joining Gravis Planning in January 2020, David worked in policy development and lobbying roles for a national business organisation and a Northern Ireland-based business organisation which specialises in representing construction and homebuilding firms. Additionally, he has held policy and public relations roles with two political parties, based separately at Westminster and Stormont. David graduated in Politics and Modern History from Queen’s University Belfast in 2005 and also holds a Masters degree from Queen’s in European Integration and Public Policy.

Gareth McGrath is Director of Parliamentary Services at the Northern Ireland Assembly. He leads a team of around 150 staff responsible for the management of meetings of the Assembly Plenary and its committees, for the official record of proceedings (‘Hansard’), and for the Assembly’s Communications, Public Engagement and Information Systems services. This includes marshalling the provision of advice to the Speaker, Deputy Speakers, committee chairpersons and MLAs on parliamentary procedure and practice; and managing the passage of legislation. Gareth joined the Assembly in 2008, having previously worked in the chemical industry, management consulting and the Civil Service. In his spare time he is chair of the Board of Governors of Drumlins Integrated Primary School.

Aodhán Connolly is the Director of the NI Retail Consortium, responsible for engagement with the NI Assembly, Westminster, the Oireachtas and Europe. He has worked with government at all levels to champion 21st Century high streets including on planning reform. He recently published a go to guide for councillors on retail for local government partnership working.

Paschal McKeown is Charity Director with Age NI, responsible for services, programmes and activities which aim to improve outcomes for older people and ensure everyone can enjoy a better later life. Paschal had worked in the voluntary sector for nearly 30 years in a number of roles, including Head of Policy and Influencing at Age NI; interim Director and Head of External Relations and Community Action at Mencap.

John McLean is Chief Executive of Radius Housing Association since its formation in 2017. He is also Chief Executive of Fold Housing Association Ireland, based in Dublin. He was formerly Chief Executive of Fold Housing Association. John is a Chartered Engineer and has been Commercial Director with NIE, the Tyco Group and the Rotary Group. He has worked overseas and in the UK in the Oil and Gas, Electricity Utility and Manufacturing sectors.

Michael McKernan joined the Board of Mutual Energy in January 2018. An economist by training, Michael has 25 years’ experience working in government, north and south and in senior roles in the Irish energy sector. Most recently, Michael served as Special Advisor to a number of SDLP ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive. Formerly, he was Interconnector Business Manager at NIE. In his earlier career, Michael was a professionally qualified Housing Manager in the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. He subsequently joined the Department of Finance in Dublin, where he was a national trade negotiator in Brussels and Geneva and a Director of the National Standards Authority of Ireland.

Alex Kane is a columnist for both the News Letter and the Irish News, as well as being a regular contributor to the Belfast Telegraph. Specialising in political commentary, he is also a frequent guest across a range of BBC, UTV and RTÉ. Alex is also a former UUP Director of Communications.

Allison Morris began her reporting career more than 20 years ago, working in the weekly newspaper industry. She joined the Irish News in 2007 and since then has gone on to collect several awards for her work. Allison is the Irish News security correspondent and is also a regular columnist.

Dolores Kelly has represented the constituency of Upper Bann since 2003. She is a member of the Policing Board and the Assembly Social Development Committee. At a local level, Dolores served on the Craigavon District Council between 1993 and 2010 and was elected as Mayor of Craigavon in 1999. Previously, she chaired the Assembly Employment and Learning Committee having formerly chaired the Environment Committee. More recently, Dolores served as vice-chair of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee.

Roy Beggs was first elected in 1998 as an Ulster Unionist MLA for East Antrim. In June 2001, he was also elected to Carrickfergus Borough Council, where he served as a local councillor for 10 years. Currently he is Deputy Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, having previously served on several Assembly committees. Roy is currently a Deputy Speaker of the Assembly and has also been active on a number of All Party Assembly Groups, including the All Party Assembly Group on the Community and Voluntary Sector.

Chris Lyttle MLA has served as a Member of the Assembly for East Belfast since 2010. Born and raised in East Belfast, he is a graduate of Queen's University Belfast and was a visiting scholar at Harvard University in Public Policy and Public Administration. As a member of the Assembly Committee for Employment & Learning, Chris proposed an inquiry into Careers Guidance the recommendations of which were adopted by the NI Executive Careers Strategy. He has also worked to support young people not in education, employment or training and lobbied the then Minister for Employment and Learning to establish a skills academy partnership between Belfast Metropolitan College and H & W in East Belfast. As deputy Chairperson of the Assembly Committee for Education in 2016-17 and now Chairperson of the Assembly Committee for Education, Chris is a strong advocate for improved provision for childcare, early years, schools, integrated education, special education, youth services and access to further and higher education for everyone in our community.

Vincent Kearney joined RTÉ as its Northern Ireland correspondent in early 2019. Formerly BBC News NI's home affairs correspondent, Vincent, who is an award-winning journalist, previously worked as a reporter and producer at the BBC. His 30 years of experience also includes senior editorial positions in regional and national newspapers. Most recently, as a Campaign Correspondent during the 2020 Irish General Election, Vincent closely reported former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s electioneering efforts.

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