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Northern Ireland Council

The Northern Ireland Council serves an important function; it is an umbrella group consisting of representatives from the ‘craft committees’ (NICDC and NIDPC), Northern Ireland Branch of the Association, Hospitals and Young Dentists Group. It is a consultative committee of the BDA.

The role of the NI Council is to consider all matters relating to dentistry, especially concerning Northern Ireland and is a repository of knowledge and expertise on these matters. Issues which fall under its remit include wider professional issues beyond the interests of the various ‘crafts’, such as European and International dental issues, undergraduate and postgraduate dental education and ethical and workforce issues.

 

What does NI Council do?

What types of issues does NI Council work on?

Northern Ireland Council members

NI Council Members are elected for three-year terms. The current NI Council triennium runs from 2018-2020 and 2021 as agreed by the PEC. 


NI Council has 14 members, 11 of whom are voting and 3 who are non-voting. Three are directly elected from the Northern Ireland Branch membership, others are there by merit of their position on another committee or by co-option.


NI Council provide the link between the BDA's membership and the policy decisions taken on their behalf.

 

To get in touch with any of your representatives please contact: northernIrelandoffice@bda.org

 

The current make up of Northern Ireland Council is:


Roz McMullan

Roz McMullan NI Council Chair (BDA NI Branch elected member)

 

Roz is an elected member of the Northern Ireland Council, and has been since 2015. She was previously BDA National President for 2019. She chairs the multi-organisational ‘Probing Stress in Dentistry’ group, supported by the PHA. Roz previously practiced as a consultant orthodontist the Western Health and Social Care Trust.


 

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Richard Graham, NI Council Vice Chair (BDA NI Branch elected member)

Richard is the Chair of NIDPC and Vice Chair of NI Council. Richard has spent his career in general practice and is a previous practice owner in Clogher and Fivemiletown. He is currently a part time Associate. Richard currently sits on the BDA UK Council and the external contract negotiations, probity and amalgam sub groups.

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Derek Manson Chair of NI Dental Practice Committee (Vice Chair in Lieu)
 

Derek was re-elected as NIDPC Vice Chair in January 2018. Derek has worked in general dental practice for over 27 years and is a practice owner in Ballymena. Derek is the NI DPC Levy fund treasurer, a position he has held for over 10 years. Derek represents NIDPC on Northern Ireland Council and on the external HSCB ICT Programme Board. He is the NIDPC cross rep for NICDC.

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Grainne Quinn Chair of the NI Salaried Dentists Committee

Grainne is elected to NICDC on behalf of the Clinical Directors. She qualified from The University of Manchester in 1983. She currently works as Clinical lead for Community Dental Services and as a Senior Dental Officer in the Western Health and Social Care Trust. As well as NI Council Grainne currently sits on the NI Joint Negotiating Forum (NIJNF).

Paul Brennan President of the BDA Northern Ireland Branch 2021

Paul has been in general practice in Strabane for 33 years
since qualifying from Queens University Belfast in 1986.
Paul has completed a certificate in Restorative dentistry and
an MSc in endodontics at the Eastman. Since then he has
lectured both locally and at the Eastman and runs a referral
endodontic service. From the early 1990s, Paul has been involved with dental representation. He served as Secretary and then Chairman of the Western Area LDC, Deputy Chairman of Western
Area Dental Advisory and is currently Chair of CAPRAP.

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Gerry McKenna Chair of the BDA Hospitals Group, NI Division

Gerry is a specialist in Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics working as a Consultant in the Belfast NHS Health and Social Care Trust. His clinical duties are based in the Centre for Dentistry, Queens University Belfast where he also provides clinical supervision and teaching for dental undergraduates. He is a Principal Investigator based within the Centre for Public Health and a member of the Nutrition and Metabolism and Health Services Research Groups. His research is centred around optimising treatment options for older patients which positively impact their dental and overall health. His current position combines research, clinical teaching and specialist patient care.


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Ross Livingston Co-Chair of the BDA Young Dentists Group, NI Division 

 

Ross graduated from Glasgow in 2010 and has recently been awarded a Membership to the Joint Dental Faculties of the Royal College of Surgeons. He is currently a lead Tutor for the MJDF Northern Ireland Study Club and has special interests in Preventative and Aesthetic dentistry

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Darren Johnston Co-opted member

Darren qualified as a dentist from Queens University Belfast Dental School. He trained as a specialist orthodontist at Glasgow Dental School and undertook further training to become an Accredited Consultant Orthodontist. Darren is now the Consultant Orthodontist for the Northern Health and Social Care Trust based at Antrim Hospital.

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Philip Henderson Co-opted member

 

Philip qualified from Queen’s University in Belfast in 1973 and was a partner in what is now known as Bachelors Walk Dental Surgery in Lisburn for over 30 Years. Throughout his career Philip, has been involved in representing his colleagues and profession at a local and national level. Philip sat as a member of the BDAs Principle Executive Committee from 2012 – 2017. Philip retired in 2010 from clinical practice but continues to act as a charitable trustee of the BDA’s Benevolent fund and as a dental adviser to Dental Protection Limited.

 

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Meabh Owens Co-opted member

 

Meabh Owens is a General Dental Practitioner and Practice Owner based in Derry~Londonderry. Meabh previously sat on NIDPC from 2015 – 2018. Meabh is currently the secretary for the Western Area LDC.


Eddie Crouch PEC Chair (non-voting)


Eddie is the Chair of the BDA Principal Executive Committee and has been Secretary of Birmingham Local Dental Committee for the last 10 years and now the Vice Chair. He qualified in 1984 from Kings and now provides Orthodontic Care for patients in South Birmingham in two locations, having previously been a Clinical Assistant in Orthodontics. He has previously Chaired the Annual Conference of LDCs, held the post of President of the Central Counties Branch and served on the GDPC Committee for the past 8 years. He Chairs the West Midlands Association of LDCs.

Peter Crooks PEC Deputy Chair and NI representative (non-voting)

 

Peter worked entirely in general practice, first as an associate for four years and then as a practice owner in Ballymena for thirty years. The practice began life fully NHS but was a mixed practice when it was sold in 2017. Since then Peter has worked as a dentist on two visits to West Africa with Mercy Ships. He was Chair of Northern LDC from 2009 to 2011 and Chair of Northern Ireland DPC from June 2010 until January 2018. Peter is a BDA Trustee and a member of the Audit Committee.

​Make your views heard - share your thoughts on dentistry in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Council are here to represent you and we would encourage you to get involved in BDA activity. We would love to hear your views, issues and any comments on how the BDA can support you as a dental practitioner.