Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland Andrew Muir has announced the re-appointment of several members to the Agri-food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) board.
AFBI is a non-departmental public body tasked with undertaking scientific work in agriculture, animal health and welfare, food, fisheries, forestry, the natural environment and rural development and enterprise.
This work includes research and development, testing, advice and information on scientific matters and the dissemination of the results of scientific research.
AFBI was created in April 2006 through the amalgamation of the Science Service of the then Department of Agriculture and Rural Development with the Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland (ARINI).
AFBI
Minister Muir has confirmed that Daphne Johnston; Alan Moore; Tim McClelland; Tom Tynan and Tom Wright have all been re-appointed to the board for a six-month period, running from December 1, 2024 until May 31, 2025.
The minister said that these extensions “provide continuity to the AFBI board” and enable the institute to continue with its function of undertaking a range of scientific work for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland (DAERA).
According to the department the re-appointments are “made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process”.
However, DAERA noted that the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees to be published.
Tim McClelland is an elected Councillor for the Democratic Unionist Party in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council since 2019.
He also owns and manages an award-winning arable farm near Tandragee, Co. Armagh.
AFBI board members are paid £436 per day for a time commitment which is not expected to exceed 20 days per year.
Minister Muir has also announced that he is planning to launch a new competition to publicly appoint new members to the AFBI board to serve from June 2025.
