Castlebar native Caitríona Ruane has announced that she will not be standing for reelection in any upcoming Northern Ireland Assembly elections. Ms Ruane who has been a MLA for South Down for the past 14 years for Sinn Féin had served as Education Minister and principal Deputy Speaker during her tenure in the Belfast based body.
According to the BBC Ms Ruane said that her time as Education Minister had been a pleasure and that her work in that department involved "abolishing the eleven plus exam, tackling underachievement, improving educational attainment and excellence for all, investing in the Irish medium sector and delivering the largest school building programme in decades".
