Robin Swann

Robin Swann is a politician in Northern Ireland who was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2011 & was re-elected in the 2016 Assembly Election. On the 6th April 2012 he was appointed Ulster Unionist Chief Whip a position he retained in the 2016/21 mandate. On 25th May 2016 he was appointed Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee.

He was appointed Chairman of the Employment and Learning Committee on the 27th of February 2013 a position he held until the Committee was dissolved on the 30th April 2016.

He is North Antrim born and bred, educated locally, he lives in the constituency with his wife, Jennifer, young daughter and baby son. Robin's son was born with a congenital heart defect, and while in Birmingham where the correctice procedure was performed, Robin recorded everything in a personal blog : fromthesideofahospitalcot.blogspot.co.uk

He is an active member of Kells & Connor Community Association and has served as a Board member of the Volunteer Development Agency in Northern Ireland.

He has served as President and County Antrim Chairman of the Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster. He has chaired the YFCU's National Executive and rural Affairs Committees and has been Chairman Rural Youth Europe organisation.

Education

Robin was educated at Kells & Connor Primary School, then attended Ballymena Academy class of 1990, before completing a BSc with the Open University, Certificate of Professional Management, Certificate of Mathematics.

Political Activity

Elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly 7 May 2011.

Robin was selected along with Andrew Wright to contest the 2016 Assembly Election as a candidate for the Ulster Unionist Party in North Antrim and successfully retained his seat. .

Current Positions - Chief Whip of the Ulster Unionist Party (2012– present), & Ulster Unionist Member of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly.

Chairman of North Antrim Association of the Ulster Unionist Party. Chairman of All Party Group on Congenital Heart Disease (30 Apr 2013 – present);

Previously held positions - During the 2011-2016 Assembly mandate Robin held positions as the Chairman of the Employment and Learning Committee (27 Feb 2013 – 30 Apr 2016); Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Northern Ireland Assembly Branch, Deputy Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee on Conformity with Equality Requirements, Welfare Reform Bill. Ceased 29 Jan 2013

He was a member of following Stormont Committees; Employment & Learning; Agriculture and Rural Development; Business Committee; Arts & Leisure; Office of the First and deputy First Minister; Assembly & Executive Review; Member of the Assembly Chairpersons Liaison Group - Chairperson 2013-2014; Vice-Chair of the All Party Group on Muscular Dystrophy; Member of the All Party Group on International Development; Member of the All Party Group on Football.

Candidate for local election 2005, Assembly 2007, Westminster 2015 - unsuccessful on these 3 occasions.

Loyal orders

Past Master & Lecturer Ferniskey LOL 115 ; Treasurer of Stormont LOL 2015 a Lodge of Special Purpose - Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland

Past Master Ballylurgan RBP 1192, member Kells & Ferniskey RBP 271 Royal Black Preceptory

Member of the Antrim Branch of the Murray Club - Apprentice Boys of Derry

Voluntary and community positions/roles

Current positions - Honorary Vice-President Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Northern Ireland

Member Kells & Connor Community Improvement Association, member of BERCC (Ballymena East Rural Community Cluster).

Previously held positions - Robin has held Directorships in ; Slemish Credit Union; Antrim Agricultural Society; Volunteer Development Agency (reformed into Volunteer Now), Rural Support; North East - Local Action Group Rural Development Program

Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster, former Club Leader, Secretary & Treasurer, currently Vice-President Kells & Connor Club, former Chairman & Treasurer of County Antrim Committee, Past President, Deputy President, Vice President, Chairman of the YFCU Rural Affairs Committee.

Rural Youth Europe, Past Chairman, Vice-chairman, held Finance and Expansion portfolios, formerly Board Member for Region I (Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Republic of Ireland & Malta). During his time as Chairman he led a delegation under the auspices of the United Nations FAO, to Serbia and Kosovo to support the creation of Young Farmers Clubs in those countries, both national organisations have now applied for membership of Rural Youth Europe.

Chairman & Pipe Sargent of Cromkill Pipe Band

Board of Governors of Ballee Community High School.; Cambridge House Grammar School

References

• UUP web site
• North Antrim UUP web site
• Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster web site
• Appearances in Northern Ireland Assembly
• Kells & Connor Community Improvement Association web site

Succession boxes