5th Northern Ireland Assembly
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Overview
Legislative bodyAssembly
JurisdictionNorthern Ireland
Meeting placeParliament Buildings,
Stormont
Term5 May 2016 – 25 January 2017
Election2016 assembly election
GovernmentExecutive of the 5th Assembly
Members108
SpeakerRobin Newton
First MinisterArlene Foster
Deputy First MinisterMartin McGuinness
Sessions
1st12 May 2016 – 24 January 2017

This is a list of the members of the fifth Northern Ireland Assembly, the unicameral devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) elected on 5 May 2016[1] or subsequently co-opted are listed by party and by constituency.

Only the Democratic Unionist Party, Sinn Féin and an Independent Unionist participated in the 4th Northern Ireland Executive, which now comprised nine rather than 12 departments.[2] The Ulster Unionist Party, Social Democratic and Labour Party and Alliance Party declined the roles they were entitled to, and under the Assembly and Executive Reform (Assembly Opposition) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016[3] the larger UUP and SDLP formed the first official Assembly Opposition.

The Assembly convened on 12 May, electing the DUP's Robin Newton as Speaker.

Party strengths

Party Designation May 2016
election 		Jan 2017
end
● Democratic Unionist Party Unionist 38 36
● Sinn Féin Nationalist 28 28
♦ Ulster Unionist Party Unionist 16 16
♦ Social Democratic and Labour Party Nationalist 12 12
♢ Alliance Party of Northern Ireland Other 8 8
♢ Green Party in Northern Ireland Other 2 2
♢ People Before Profit Alliance Other 2 2
♢ Traditional Unionist Voice Unionist 1 1
● Independent Unionist 1 1
♢ Independent[n 1] Unionist 0 1
Speaker[n 2] None 0 1
Total 108
Roles at commencement: ● = Northern Ireland Executive (66); ♦ = Assembly Opposition (28); ♢ = Other opposition (13).
Notes
  1. ^ Jonathan Bell was suspended from the DUP on 18 Dec 2016.
  2. ^ Once elected, the Speaker relinquishes party affiliation.

Graphical representation

This is not the official seating plan

MLAs by party

Party Name Constituency
Democratic Unionist Party (36) Sydney Anderson Upper Bann
Maurice Bradley East Londonderry
Paula Bradley Belfast North
Keith Buchanan Mid Ulster
Thomas Buchanan West Tyrone
Joanne Bunting Belfast East
Pam Cameron South Antrim
Trevor Clarke South Antrim
Sammy Douglas Belfast East
Gordon Dunne North Down
Alex Easton North Down
Arlene Foster Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Paul Frew North Antrim
Paul Girvan South Antrim
Paul Givan Lagan Valley
Brenda Hale Lagan Valley
Simon Hamilton Strangford
David Hilditch East Antrim
William Humphrey Belfast North
William Irwin Newry and Armagh
Carla Lockhart Upper Bann
Phillip Logan North Antrim
Gordon Lyons East Antrim
Nelson McCausland Belfast North
Michelle McIlveen Strangford
Adrian McQuillan East Londonderry
Gary Middleton Foyle
Maurice Morrow Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Emma Pengelly Belfast South
Edwin Poots Lagan Valley
George Robinson East Londonderry
Alastair Ross East Antrim
Christopher Stalford Belfast South
Mervyn Storey North Antrim
Peter Weir North Down
Jim Wells South Down
Sinn Féin (28) Caoimhe Archibald East Londonderry
Cathal Boylan Newry and Armagh
Michaela Boyle West Tyrone
Linda Dillon Mid Ulster
Megan Fearon Newry and Armagh
Órlaithí Flynn † Belfast West
Michelle Gildernew Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Chris Hazzard South Down
Declan Kearney South Antrim
Gerry Kelly Belfast North
Seán Lynch Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Declan McAleer West Tyrone
Fra McCann Belfast West
Raymond McCartney Foyle
Barry McElduff West Tyrone
Philip McGuigan † North Antrim
Martin McGuinness Foyle
Oliver McMullan East Antrim
Alex Maskey Belfast West
Ian Milne Mid Ulster
Conor Murphy Newry and Armagh
Carál Ní Chuilín Belfast North
Máirtín Ó Muilleoir Belfast South
John O'Dowd Upper Bann
Michelle O'Neill Mid Ulster
Caitríona Ruane South Down
Catherine Seeley Upper Bann
Pat Sheehan Belfast West
Ulster Unionist Party (16) Steve Aiken South Antrim
Andy Allen Belfast East
Rosemary Barton Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Doug Beattie Upper Bann
Roy Beggs, Jr. East Antrim
Robbie Butler Lagan Valley
Alan Chambers North Down
Jo-Anne Dobson Upper Bann
Ross Hussey West Tyrone
Danny Kennedy Newry and Armagh
Harold McKee South Down
Mike Nesbitt Strangford
Sandra Overend Mid Ulster
Jennifer Palmer Lagan Valley
Philip Smith Strangford
Robin Swann North Antrim
Social Democratic and Labour Party (12) Alex Attwood Belfast West
Sinéad Bradley South Down
Mark H. Durkan Foyle
Colum Eastwood Foyle
Claire Hanna Belfast South
Daniel McCrossan West Tyrone
Patsy McGlone Mid Ulster
Colin McGrath South Down
Justin McNulty Newry and Armagh
Richie McPhillips Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Nichola Mallon Belfast North
Gerry Mullan East Londonderry
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (8) Kellie Armstrong Strangford
Paula Bradshaw Belfast South
Stewart Dickson East Antrim
Stephen Farry North Down
David Ford South Antrim
Naomi Long Belfast East
Trevor Lunn Lagan Valley
Chris Lyttle Belfast East
Green Party in Northern Ireland (2) Steven Agnew North Down
Clare Bailey Belfast South
People Before Profit Alliance (2) Gerry Carroll Belfast West
Eamonn McCann Foyle
Traditional Unionist Voice (1) Jim Allister North Antrim
Independent Unionist (2) Jonathan Bell ‡ Strangford
Claire Sugden East Londonderry
Speaker (1) Robin Newton ‡ Belfast East

† Co-opted to replace an elected MLA

‡ Changed affiliation during the term

MLAs by constituency

Constituency Name Party
Belfast East
 Andy Allen Ulster Unionist Party
Joanne Bunting Democratic Unionist Party
Sammy Douglas Democratic Unionist Party
Naomi Long Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Chris Lyttle Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Robin Newton Speaker
Belfast North
 Paula Bradley Democratic Unionist Party
William Humphrey Democratic Unionist Party
Gerry Kelly Sinn Féin
Nichola Mallon Social Democratic and Labour Party
Nelson McCausland Democratic Unionist Party
Carál Ní Chuilín Sinn Féin
Belfast South
 Clare Bailey Green Party in Northern Ireland
Paula Bradshaw Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Claire Hanna Social Democratic and Labour Party
Máirtín Ó Muilleoir Sinn Féin
Emma Pengelly Democratic Unionist Party
Christopher Stalford Democratic Unionist Party
Belfast West
 Alex Attwood Social Democratic and Labour Party
Gerry Carroll People Before Profit Alliance
Órlaithí Flynn † Sinn Féin
Alex Maskey Sinn Féin
Fra McCann Sinn Féin
Pat Sheehan Sinn Féin
East Antrim
 Roy Beggs, Jr. Ulster Unionist Party
Stewart Dickson Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
David Hilditch Democratic Unionist Party
Gordon Lyons Democratic Unionist Party
Oliver McMullan Sinn Féin
Alastair Ross Democratic Unionist Party
East Londonderry
 Caoimhe Archibald Sinn Féin
Maurice Bradley Democratic Unionist Party
Adrian McQuillan Democratic Unionist Party
Gerry Mullan Social Democratic and Labour Party
George Robinson Democratic Unionist Party
Claire Sugden Independent Unionist
Fermanagh and South Tyrone
 Rosemary Barton Ulster Unionist Party
Arlene Foster Democratic Unionist Party
Michelle Gildernew Sinn Féin
Seán Lynch Sinn Féin
Richie McPhillips Social Democratic and Labour Party
Maurice Morrow Democratic Unionist Party
Foyle
 Colum Eastwood Social Democratic and Labour Party
Mark H. Durkan Social Democratic and Labour Party
Eamonn McCann People Before Profit Alliance
Raymond McCartney Sinn Féin
Martin McGuinness Sinn Féin
Gary Middleton Democratic Unionist Party
Lagan Valley
 Robbie Butler Ulster Unionist Party
Paul Givan Democratic Unionist Party
Brenda Hale Democratic Unionist Party
Trevor Lunn Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Jennifer Palmer Ulster Unionist Party
Edwin Poots Democratic Unionist Party
Mid Ulster
 Keith Buchanan Democratic Unionist Party
Linda Dillon Sinn Féin
Patsy McGlone Social Democratic and Labour Party
Ian Milne Sinn Féin
Michelle O'Neill Sinn Féin
Sandra Overend Ulster Unionist Party
Newry and Armagh
 Cathal Boylan Sinn Féin
Megan Fearon Sinn Féin
William Irwin Democratic Unionist Party
Danny Kennedy Ulster Unionist Party
Justin McNulty Social Democratic and Labour Party
Conor Murphy Sinn Féin
North Antrim
 Jim Allister Traditional Unionist Voice
Paul Frew Democratic Unionist Party
Phillip Logan Democratic Unionist Party
Philip McGuigan † Sinn Féin
Mervyn Storey Democratic Unionist Party
Robin Swann Ulster Unionist Party
North Down
 Steven Agnew Green Party in Northern Ireland
Alan Chambers Ulster Unionist Party
Gordon Dunne Democratic Unionist Party
Alex Easton Democratic Unionist Party
Stephen Farry Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Peter Weir Democratic Unionist Party
South Antrim
 Steve Aiken Ulster Unionist Party
Pam Cameron Democratic Unionist Party
Trevor Clarke Democratic Unionist Party
David Ford Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Paul Girvan Democratic Unionist Party
Declan Kearney Sinn Féin
South Down
 Sinéad Bradley Social Democratic and Labour Party
Chris Hazzard Sinn Féin
Colin McGrath Social Democratic and Labour Party
Harold McKee Ulster Unionist Party
Caitríona Ruane Sinn Féin
Jim Wells Democratic Unionist Party
Strangford
 Kellie Armstrong Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Jonathan Bell ‡ Independent Unionist
Simon Hamilton Democratic Unionist Party
Michelle McIlveen Democratic Unionist Party
Mike Nesbitt Ulster Unionist Party
Philip Smith Ulster Unionist Party
Upper Bann
 Sydney Anderson Democratic Unionist Party
Doug Beattie Ulster Unionist Party
Jo-Anne Dobson Ulster Unionist Party
Carla Lockhart Democratic Unionist Party
John O'Dowd Sinn Féin
Catherine Seeley Sinn Féin
West Tyrone
 Thomas Buchanan Democratic Unionist Party
Michaela Boyle Sinn Féin
Ross Hussey Ulster Unionist Party
Declan McAleer Sinn Féin
Daniel McCrossan Social Democratic and Labour Party
Barry McElduff Sinn Féin

† Co-opted to replace an elected MLA ‡ Changed affiliation during the term

Changes since the election

† Co-options

Date co-opted Constituency Party Outgoing Co-optee Reason
18 August 2016 North Antrim Sinn Féin Daithí McKay Philip McGuigan Daithí McKay resigned.[4]
7 December 2016 Belfast West Sinn Féin Jennifer McCann Órlaithí Flynn Jennifer McCann resigned.[5]

‡ Changes in affiliation

Date Constituency Name Previous affiliation New affiliation Circumstance
12 May 2016 Belfast East Robin Newton DUP Speaker Robin Newton elected Speaker of the Assembly at its first sitting.
18 December 2016 Strangford Jonathan Bell DUP Ind. Unionist Jonathan Bell suspended from the DUP.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Northern Ireland Assembly election 2017 results". BBC News. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  2. ^ "Changes to government departments | nidirect". nidirect. 8 February 2016. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  3. ^ "Assembly and Executive Reform (Assembly Opposition) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Philip McGuigan is Sinn Fein's new North Antrim MLA after Daithi McKay resignation - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 August 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Órlaithí Flynn becomes MLA". www.sinnfein.ie. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  6. ^ "RHI scandal: Jonathan Bell suspended from DUP". BBC News. 18 December 2016. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2017.

External links

Elected representatives in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Assembly
Categories