Michelle McIlveen

Michelle McIlveen MLA (born 21 January 1971) is a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland representing the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). She was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly as a Democratic Unionist Party member for Strangford in 2007. She has been General Secretary of the DUP since 2008. She served as Minister for Education from June 2021 to October 2022

Michelle McIlveen
MLA
McIlveen in 2021
Minister for Education
In office
14 June 2021 – 27 October 2022
Preceded byPeter Weir
Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs
In office
6 May 2016 – 26 January 2017
Preceded byMichelle O'Neill
Succeeded byEdwin Poots
Minister for Regional Development
In office
21 September 2015[note 1] – 6 May 2016
Preceded byDanny Kennedy
Succeeded byChris Hazzard
Junior Minister at the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister
In office
11 May 2015 – 28 October 2015
Preceded byJonathan Bell
Succeeded byEmma Little-Pengelly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
for Strangford
Assumed office
7 March 2007
Preceded byJohn Taylor
Personal details
Born (1971-01-21) 21 January 1971
Belfast, Northern Ireland
NationalityBritish
Political partyDemocratic Unionist Party
Alma materQueen's University, Belfast
ProfessionPolitician
CabinetEducation Minister

Early life and education

A native of Newtownards, she attended Methodist College Belfast and later Queen's University, Belfast where she took a Master's Degree in Irish Politics and later still a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, the necessary qualification to teach in most parts of the United Kingdom.

She taught History and Politics at Grosvenor Grammar School in East Belfast for a number of years before entering full-time politics. [1] [2]

Political career

McIlveen was first elected as a councillor to Ards Borough Council in 2005. She then became an MLA for Strangford in 2007, a seat she has held since. Her constituency office is in Comber.

McIlveen became the Junior Minister in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on 11 May 2015 until 28 October 2015.

She became the Minister for Regional Development on 21 September 2015. This post had been held by the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) minister Danny Kennedy until his party withdrew from the Northern Ireland Executive, and under the D'Hondt method the department was transferred to the DUP.[3] McIlveen was appointed as minister for this department, with Emma Little-Pengelly replacing her as Junior Minister.

Jim Gamble and Michelle McIlveen launching the Safer Schools NI App, 2021

McIlveen then served as the Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs from 2016 until the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive in January 2017.

On 14 June 2021, McIlveen, a former teacher, was appointed as the Minister for Education by the DUP leader Edwin Poots.[4] She remained in the post under Sir Jeffrey Donaldson's leadership.[5]


Notes
  1. Resigned on 21 September 2015, re-entered office on 23 Sept. till 24 Sept., then 30 Sept.-1 Oct. 2015. Following 20 October she permanently occupies the office

References
  1. "Michelle McIlveen appointed new NI agriculture Minister".
  2. "Minister for Education visit".
  3. Kevin McGuigan murder: Provisional IRA still exists, says PSNI chief; accessed 14 May 2016.
  4. "Ministerial Appointments: Mr Frew and Miss McIlveen". They Work For You. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  5. DUP profile, dup.org.uk; accessed 14 May 2016.
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