The Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly ( ga, Ceann Comhairle) (originally having the title of Presiding Officer) is the presiding officer of the Northern Ireland Assembly, elected on a cross-community vote by the

Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs; ga, Comhaltaí den Tionól Reachtach; sco-ulster, Laa-Makkan Forgaitherars) are representatives elected by the voters to the Northern Ireland Assembly. About The Northern Ireland Assembly has 90 ...

. A Principal Deputy Speaker and two deputy speakers are elected to help fulfil the role. The office of Speaker is currently held (since January 2020) by the former MLA for Belfast West

Alex Maskey Alex Maskey (born 8 January 1952) is an Irish politician who has been Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly since 2020 and was the first member of Sinn Féin to serve as Lord Mayor of Belfast from 2002 to 2003. He was Sinn Féin's longest s ...

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur G ...

. The Office of the Speaker is located in Parliament Buildings, Stormont,

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

. The Speaker is also the Chairman of the Assembly Commission, the body corporate of the Assembly, and the Chairman of the Assembly Business Committee.

History

The first person to hold the position was Lord Alderdice, appointed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in 1998. Prior to devolution in December 1999 the position was referred to as the Initial Presiding Officer. Alderdice left office in 2004.

Eileen Bell Eileen Bell CBE (born 15 August 1943) is an Alliance Party politician from Dromara, Northern Ireland. She was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for North Down from 1998 to 2007, and is a former deputy leader of the Alliance ...

held the office of Speaker in the Assembly established under the

Northern Ireland Act 2006 The Northern Ireland Act 2006 (c. 17) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It made provision in connection with the Northern Ireland Assembly. It was repealed by section 22 of the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 ...

which met between May and October 2006 and in the Transitional Assembly established under the

Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 The Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 (c 53) is an Act of Parliament, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It implemented the St Andrews Agreement. It is modified by section 1 of the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) ...

which met between November 2006 and May 2007. Under the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 she was appointed Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly on 8 May 2007. One of the first items of business for the Northern Ireland Assembly on 8 May 2007 was to elect a new Speaker from the MLAs elected in March 2007. The only nominee was William Hay, DUP member for Foyle and he was elected unopposed. In May 2011 the new position of Principal Deputy Speaker was created. Sinn Féin deputy speaker

Francie Molloy Francie Molloy ( ga, Proinsias Ó Maolmhuaidh; born 16 December 1950) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been the abstentionist Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Ulster since 2013. He was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) ...

was subsequently elected to the new position in June 2011.

Election

During the first meeting of a new Assembly a Speaker is elected. The oldest (by age) Member of the Assembly (''see Father of the House'') who is not seeking the appointment oversees the election as acting speaker. Nominees are then put forward, seconded and accepted by the nominee. A vote is then taken which must achieve the support of both sides of the house (''

cross-community support A cross-community vote or cross-community support is a form of voting used in the Northern Ireland Assembly according to the provisions of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. It requires the support of both main communities in Northern Ireland, in ot ...

''). A successful nominee is then deemed elected as Speaker and takes the chair. Upon election the Speaker must relinquish all party political affiliations. The newly or re-elected speaker then oversees the selection of three deputy speakers.

Speakers

Deputy speakers

Current Speaker and deputy speakers

References

External links

Office of the Speaker
{{Northern Ireland Assembly Northern Ireland Assembly

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...