Deputy Secretaries

Paul Brush

In October 2019 Paul was appointed Director of Early Years, Childcare and the Children and Young People’s Strategy at the Department of Education.

Since June 2025 Paul Brush has taken up post of Acting Deputy Secretary for Inclusion, Improvement and Workforce Group at the Department of Education.  In this role Paul has responsibility for a range of education policy areas including:

• Inclusion Special Educational Needs - Reform and Inclusion;
• Inclusion Special Educational Needs - Strategic Policy and Legislation;
• Early Years, Childcare and Children and Young People Strategy;
• Raising Aspirations and Supporting Learning; and
• Education Workforce.

Heather Cousins

Heather is Deputy Secretary of the Sustainability and Infrastructure Group in the Department of Education. In this role she is responsible for the Department’s Sustainable Schools Policy, for the building and maintenance of the Schools Estate and for the development of shared education campuses including Strule. 

Other policy areas include shared education, integrated education, Irish Medium and oversight of relevant Arm’s Length Bodies, policy and oversight in relation to food, transport and school uniforms.

Prior to moving to this post, Heather was Deputy Secretary in the Department for the Economy 2016 to July 2023, and Deputy Secretary in the Department for Employment and Learning from September 2013 to 2016.

Faustina Graham

Faustina is the Chief Inspector of the Education and Training Inspectorate

She leads the inspection of early years, schools, further education and training, youth, initial teacher education and learning and skills in prisons. Faustina also leads the Inspectorate in its inspection of the safeguarding arrangements that education and training organisations put in place to protect children and young people.