Quick Facts
Biography
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.[1]
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. [1].
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
Succession boxes
| Northern Ireland Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robert Coulter | MLA for North Antrim 9 May 2011– | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by John McCallister | Ulster Unionist Chief Whip 6 April 2012– | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by Michaela Boyle | Chairperson of Public Accounts Committee 25 May 2016 – | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by Basil McCrea | Chairperson of Employment & Learning Committee 27 Feb 2013 - 30 Apr 2016 | Succeeded by Position terminated. [1] |
| Preceded by New office | Chairperson of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Northern Ireland Assembly Branch 13 Apr 2015 - 13 Jun 2016 | Succeeded by Jo-Anne Dobson |
| Preceded by New office | Chairman All Party Group on Congenital Heart Disease 30 Feb 2013 - | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by Alex Maskey | Chairperson Chairpersons Liaison Group October 2013 - September 2014 | Succeeded by Patsy McGlone |
| Preceded by Billy Armstrong | Ulster Unionist Deputy Whip 9 May 2011– 6 April 2012 | Succeeded by Sandra Overend |
| Preceded by John McCallister | President of Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster 2005–2007 | Succeeded by Adrian Cooper |
| Preceded by Delme Harris (Wales NFYFC) | Chairman of Rural Youth Europe 2008–2010 | Succeeded by Michael Schwab (Germany WLL) |