 Her promotion to the Cabinet at the age of 67 under Viscount Brookeborough was part of his reforming premiership; his predecessor having been criticised for appointing elderly members to Cabinet.She was the first woman to serve in the Northern Ireland Cabinet.Outside of parliamentary activities Dame Dehra was a long-serving local councillor on Magherafelt rural district council, president of both the "Northern Ireland Physical Training Association" and the "Girls' Training Corps", and chairman of the "Ancient Monuments Advisory Committee".