Education Authority again fails to appoint chief executive

The Education Authority (EA) has failed for a second time to find a new chief executive to succeed Gavin Boyd.

The EA manages about £1.6bn of the education budget, including school funding and transport, meals and support for special educational needs.

Mr Boyd has headed the EA since it came into being in April 2015, on a total salary about £200,000 per year.

He was originally expected to step down by the end of 2016 and then again by the end of 2017.

However, the EA said that "following completion of a rigorous recruitment and selection process" it had again not been able to make an appointment to replace him.

The authority said Mr Boyd would remain in post.

It is the second time the EA has carried out an extensive selection process to find a new chief executive.

The BBC understands that a third attempt to find Mr Boyd's successor will not begin until the spring of 2018.

The authority replaced the five education and library boards in April 2015.