The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Sir Chris Bryant MP, announced on 29 October 2026 the appointment of Dr Cathy Gormley-Heenan OBE as a Civil Service Commissioner for Northern Ireland, effective from 1 November 2026.

Commissioners are appointed under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 by the King on the Secretary of State's recommendation. They regulate appointments to the Northern Ireland Civil Service and, under the Civil Service Commissioners (Northern Ireland) Order 1999, can consider and determine appeals brought by civil servants under the Northern Ireland Civil Service Code of Ethics.

The part-time post runs for five years, ending 31 October 2031, with a daily fee of £300 and no pension. Gormley-Heenan is University Provost at Ulster University and holds board roles with the British-Irish Association, the NI Chamber of Commerce and the Maze Long Kesh Development Corporation; she is a former Commissioner for the Independent Fiscal Commission for Northern Ireland. The announcement states she declared no political activity in the last five years. The appointments are not regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.