Mid Ulster - Michelle O'Neill
Michelle O'Neill is married to Paddy and they have two children, Saoirse and Ryan.
Michelle has been involved in political activism since a young age and has held various positions on the officer board of the East Tyrone Comhairle Ceantair, including the positions of Secretary and Finance officer over the years. Michelle has also been a member of the Mid Ulster Daíl Ceantair.
Michelle is no stranger to the workings of the Assembly having worked as a Political Advisor to Francie Molloy from 1998 when the Assembly first went live, up until she was elected to Council in 2005.
Michelle was elected to Dungannon & South Tyrone Borough Council in 2005 and in 2006 was the first woman to take on the role of Deputy Mayor. In her time in the council Michelle has been a strong voice for equality and in particular in promoting the role of woman in community and public life.
In the two years that Michelle has been elected she has sat on the Councils development committee, Equality Sub Committee, she has been chair of the Coalisland Canal group sub committee, she has been an active member of the Coalisland Regeneration group she has also represented the council on a number of outside bodies including the housing council.
Coming from a rural community Michelle has an interest in rural issues and maintaining the rural way of life, she is a keen supporter of rural regeneration and has recently been involved in the establishment of a Clonoe Community Regeneration group.
Michelle has a strong background in social welfare issues and is a qualified welfare rights advisor. Over the past 8 years she has worked across Mid Ulster in the party constituency offices providing advice and empowering the electorate on bread and butter issues.
Michelle said 'The need for a locally accountable democratic assembly which reflects the views of the indigenous population in its policy making, is a necessity for the people of the six counties. For too long the people of the six counties have been subjected to direct rule ministers making decisions which are not reflective of local need'.