Michelle O'Neill

Michelle O'Neill MLA
Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 May 2011
Leader	Gerry Adams
Preceded by	Michelle Gildernew
Mayor of Dungannon and South Tyrone
In office June 2010 – June 2011
Preceded by	Francie Molloy
Succeeded by	Kenneth Reid
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Mid Ulster
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 March 2007
Preceded by	Geraldine Dougan
Personal details
Born	(1977-01-10) 10 January 1977 County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Sinn Féin
Spouse(s)	Paddy O'Neill
Children	Saoirse O'Neill Ryan O'Neill
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Website	Michelle O'Neill MLA

Michelle O'Neill MLA (born 19 January 1977) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has represented Mid Ulster in the Northern Ireland Assembly since 2007.^[1] She currently is the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Northern Ireland Executive.

Early career

O'Neill represented the Torrent electoral area on Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council from 2005 to 2011 and was Mayor of Dungannon and South Tyrone in 2010.^[2][3] Previously, in the Northern Ireland Assembly, O'Neill was the Deputy Chair of the Health Committee^[3] and she has spoken on issues such as rural school closures, which she opposed.^[4]

Controversy

In September 2012, O'Neill announced that the Department of Rural Development (DARD) would move to a former army barracks in Ballykelly.^[5] Since this announcement however, it has come to light that Strabane was chosen as a more suitable location by an internal DARD assessment, a decision that O'Neill overruled. In Feb 2013 it has been revealed that the decision was even questioned by the finance minister Sammy Wilson. ^[6]

References