Julie Harrison to take up top position at Northern Ireland Office (NIO)

Julie Harrison, who has served as Permanent Secretary of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) since April 2022, will take up the new role in September.

The British Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, with the approval of the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has announced Ms. Harrison will replace Madeleine Alessandri who left the post in July to become the new Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee and Head of the Joint Intelligence Unit.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris MP, said: “I am delighted Julie has been appointed as the new Permanent Secretary to the Northern Ireland Office. She is an outstanding civil servant, has a passion for the place and will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the post.

“The NIO has some of the most dedicated and hard working civil servants I know, all of whom are committed to making a positive difference and to delivering for all the people of Northern Ireland.

“Julie will play a central role in supporting them and in guiding the department to realise its vision for Northern Ireland: to make it a better place to live, to work and to invest. I look forward to welcoming Julie to the NIO and to working together.”

Mr. Case, said: “I would like to congratulate Julie on her appointment. Julie brings a wealth of experience from her time in the Northern Ireland Civil Service and I look forward to working with Julie in her new role as Permanent Secretary at the Northern Ireland Office.

"I would also like to thank Madeleine Alessandri for her excellent leadership of the department over the last three years and Dominic Wilson for steering the department over recent weeks.

Ms. Harrison said: “I am looking forward to working with the Secretary of State, the team in the NIO and a wide range of community, business and political voices to create solutions that enable Northern Ireland and the people who live here to prosper.”

Ms Harrison is expected to take up her new post in September.

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