Sharon O’Connor new head of the North’s Education Authority
THE former chief executive of Derry City Council has been appointed to oversee the North’s new single education board.
Sharon O’Connor will be the first chair of the Education Authority, which takes over from the existing five education and library boards on 1 April.
It comes a day after she finishes work at the council where she will pick up a farewell £275,000 golden handshake from hard-pressed ratepayers’ coffers.
The Education Authority aims to streamline services and save money by reducing duplication.
It will begin work on the same day that the 11 new ‘super councils’ replace the 26 old ones.
Ms O’Connor currently holds one other public appointment as a non-executive director of ILEX-URC, for which she receives no remuneration.
In the assembly on Monday, TUV leader Jim Allister asked Sinn Fein Education Minister John O’Dowd if he was “playing the green card” by appointing Ms O’Connor.
Mr O’Dowd angrily objected to the question.
It followed an earlier exchange in the assembly between the two men, when Mr O’Dowd declined to confirm the name of the new chair as he was not completely sure that all appointments had been accepted.
Mr Allister asked the minister why he had decided to appoint someone whom he alleged had “no education background”.
He said that on the day she left her existing post, she would get “a £250,000 golden handshake” and then walk into a public appointment.
Mr O’Dowd said he was satisfied that the appointments he had made, including that of the chair, were correct and met the criteria.
He said the person involved would be more than capable of carrying out a challenging role.
The Derry Daily revealed in December that a campaigner was bidding to stop a massive £275,000 golden handshake for Derry City Council chief executive Sharon O’Connor is hoping thousands of people will send a letter of complaint in a bid to stop it.
And Fergal Barr has been doing his sums – saying the total cost of having Ms O’Connor in charge of the council from November 2011 until now is an astonishing £605,000.
“That’s at least £16,806 per month,” said Mr Barr.
“That has been the cost of her £110,000 annual salary plus the £275,000 golden handshake.
“That doesn’t include expenses or £500 per day mentors who worked alongside her.”
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