Caitríona Ruane

Infobox Politician | name=Caitríona Ruane MLA


width=120px
width=144px
office = Minister for Education
term_start = May 8, 2007
term_end =
predecessor= Martin McGuinness
successor=Incumbent
constituency_AM3= South Down
assembly3=Northern Ireland
birth_date=birth date and age|1962|7|19
birth_place=Swinford, County Mayo, Ireland
party=Sinn Féin
spouse=
website= [http://www.sinnfein.ie/elections/candidate/262 SF election page]

Caitríona Ruane MLA (born 1962 in Swinford, County Mayo) is a Sinn Féin politician and a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Down. [ [http://www.sinnfein.ie/elections/candidate/262 Caitríona Ruane - Sinn Féin profile] ] [ [http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs_03/ruane_c.htm Caitríona Ruane - NI Assmbley profile] ]

In the first Executive under First Minister Ian Paisley and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness she was appointed Minister for Education. She has been the topic of much controversy over the scrapping of the Transfer Examination and her subsequent plans for replacement.

Ruane is a former professional tennis player who represented Ireland in the Fed Cup. She now lives in Carlingford, County Louth and is married with two children. [ [http://www.stratagem-ni.com/southdownmlas.php Strategem NI - South Down] ] In the past Ruane has acted as director of the Féile an Phobail and chairperson of the St Patrick's Carnival Committee in Belfast. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/636673.stm Legal challenge to St Pat's Day funding] ]

Ruane was a prominent member of the "Bring Them Home" campaign for the Colombia Three, which sought the safe return of three Irishmen accused in Colombia of training Marxist rebels. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6632769.stm NI cabinet ministers: at a glance] ]

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