Caitríona Ruane
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Caitríona Ruane MLA
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 8 May 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Martin McGuinness |
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Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for South Down |
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| Born | 19 July 1962 Swinford, County Mayo, Ireland |
| Political party | Sinn Féin |
| Website | SF election page |
Caitríona Ruane MLA (born 1962 in Swinford, County Mayo) is a Sinn Féin politician and a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Down.[1][2]
In the first Executive under First Minister Ian Paisley and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness she was appointed Minister for Education. She has faced opposition over the scrapping of the Transfer Examination (Eleven Plus) and her subsequent plans for a replacement.
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[edit] History
Ruane is a former professional tennis player who represented Ireland in the Fed Cup. She now lives in Carlingford, County Louth and is married with two children.[3] In the past Ruane has acted as director of the Féile an Phobail and chairperson of the St Patrick's Carnival Committee in Belfast.[4]
[edit] "Bring them Home" campaign
Ruane was a prominent member of the Bring Them Home campaign for the Colombia Three, which sought the safe return of three Irishmen later convicted in their absence in Colombia of training Marxist rebels.[5]
[edit] Abolition of the Eleven Plus
Ruane has faced opposition for her support for abolition of the Eleven Plus examination, originally planned by her predecessor Martin McGuinness.[6] She has faced opposition from the Democratic Unionist Party [7] and Social Democratic and Labour Party[8] as well as from grammar schools in Northern Ireland, causing them to form the AQE[9] (Association for Quality Education), which will offer a replacement for the Transfer Examination, with 30 grammar schools signed up to the plan.[10]
[edit] Bobby Sands complaint
In December 2008, she praised the Provisional IRA hunger striker, Bobby Sands, whilst giving a speech at a Northern Ireland school. A member of the public complained to the PSNI regarded claiming her speech was illegal under the law preventing glorification of terrorism.[11]
[edit] References
- ^ Caitríona Ruane - Sinn Féin profile
- ^ Caitríona Ruane - NI Assmbley profile
- ^ Strategem NI - South Down
- ^ Legal challenge to St Pat's Day funding
- ^ NI cabinet ministers: at a glance
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7126557.stm Minister scraps the 11-plus exam
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7401793.stm BBC - Ruane's plans 'need DUP support'
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7399606.stm - SDLP hits out at new exam plans
- ^ http://www.aqe.org.uk/ AQE Home Page
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7364023.stm BBC - Ruane attacks elist schools
- ^ Ruane reported over Sands praise - Retrieved 21 December 2008
| Northern Ireland Assembly | ||
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| Preceded by Mick Murphy |
MLA for Down South 2003 - |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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| Preceded by Office suspended |
Minister of Education 2007 - present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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