Caitríona Ruane
Encyclopedia
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
.
In the first Executive under First Minister Ian Paisley
and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness
she was appointed Minister of Education. She has faced opposition over the scrapping of the Transfer Examination (Eleven Plus
) and her subsequent plans for a replacement. She was replaced by John O'Dowd
after the 2011 election.
player who represented Ireland
in the Fed Cup
. She now lives in Carlingford, County Louth
and is married with two children. In the past Ruane has acted as director of the Féile an Phobail
and chairperson of the St Patrick's Carnival Committee in Belfast
.
, which sought the safe return of three Irishmen later convicted in their absence in Colombia
of training FARC insurgents.
examination, originally planned by her predecessor Martin McGuinness
. She has faced opposition from the Democratic Unionist Party
and Social Democratic and Labour Party
as well as from grammar schools in Northern Ireland, causing them to form the AQE (Association for Quality Education), which will offer a replacement for the transfer examination, with 30 grammar schools signed up to the plan. She was alleged to have delayed the publication of a report which showed that public opinion favoured academic selection.
In March 2011, Ruane caused controversy by claiming that all Northern Irish pupils should be given the opportunity to study Irish, that Northern Ireland's education system should be made more similar to that of the Republic of Ireland, and that “the debate on academic selection is now over”. Director of the Governing Bodies Association, which represents Ulster grammar schools, John Hart, said, “I think the minister is fooling only herself in trying to convince us that the debate surrounding academic selection is over. Some 26,000 parents last year did not think it was over. As we have said in the past, the minister washed her hands of responsibility for academic selection, so she would be better letting those with a more responsible approach get on with it, instead of petty badgering."
Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly elected in November 2003, never met as such, since Northern Ireland's devolved government and representative institutions were suspended following the re-introduction of direct rule by the United Kingdom government on 14 October 2002....
(born 1962 in Swinford
Swinford
Swinford, historically called Swineford , is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is surrounded by the settlements of Midfield, Meelick, Culmore, Cloonaghboy, Killasser and other villages. It is on the N5 road, located 18 km from Ireland West Airport Knock...
, County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
) is a Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
politician and a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
for South Down
South Down (UK Parliament constituency)
South Down is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:The county constituency was first created in 1885 from the southern part of Down...
.
In the first Executive under First Minister Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness
Martin McGuinness
James Martin Pacelli McGuinness is an Irish Sinn Féin politician and the current deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. McGuinness was also the Sinn Féin candidate for the Irish presidential election, 2011. He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland....
she was appointed Minister of Education. She has faced opposition over the scrapping of the Transfer Examination (Eleven Plus
Eleven plus
In the United Kingdom, the 11-plus or Eleven plus is an examination administered to some students in their last year of primary education, governing admission to various types of secondary school. The name derives from the age group for secondary entry: 11–12 years...
) and her subsequent plans for a replacement. She was replaced by John O'Dowd
John O'Dowd
John O'Dowd MLA is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He served as acting deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from 20 September to 31 October 2011, and is also the current Minister for Education. O'Dowd is a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Upper Bann and a councillor on Craigavon...
after the 2011 election.
History
Ruane is a former professional tennisTennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player who represented Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in the Fed Cup
Fed Cup
Fed Cup is the premier team competition in women's tennis, launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the International Tennis Federation...
. She now lives in Carlingford, County Louth
Carlingford, County Louth
Carlingford is a coastal town and townland in northern County Louth, Ireland. It is situated between Carlingford Lough and Slieve Foy, sometimes known as Carlingford Mountain...
and is married with two children. In the past Ruane has acted as director of the Féile an Phobail
Feile an Phobail
Féile an Phobail , also known as the West Belfast Festival is a community arts organisation known for its August Féile . The organisation is prominent for its promotion of Irish and international culture...
and chairperson of the St Patrick's Carnival Committee in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
.
"Bring them Home" campaign
Ruane was a prominent member of the Bring Them Home campaign for the Colombia ThreeColombia Three
The Colombia Three are three individuals – Niall Connolly, James Monaghan and Martin McCauley – who are currently living in the Republic of Ireland, having fled from Colombia, where they were sentenced to prison terms of seventeen years for training FARC rebels.-Arrest:The three came to...
, which sought the safe return of three Irishmen later convicted in their absence in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
of training FARC insurgents.
Abolition of the Eleven Plus
Ruane has faced opposition for her support for abolition of the Eleven PlusEleven plus
In the United Kingdom, the 11-plus or Eleven plus is an examination administered to some students in their last year of primary education, governing admission to various types of secondary school. The name derives from the age group for secondary entry: 11–12 years...
examination, originally planned by her predecessor Martin McGuinness
Martin McGuinness
James Martin Pacelli McGuinness is an Irish Sinn Féin politician and the current deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. McGuinness was also the Sinn Féin candidate for the Irish presidential election, 2011. He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland....
. She has faced opposition from the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
and Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
as well as from grammar schools in Northern Ireland, causing them to form the AQE (Association for Quality Education), which will offer a replacement for the transfer examination, with 30 grammar schools signed up to the plan. She was alleged to have delayed the publication of a report which showed that public opinion favoured academic selection.
In March 2011, Ruane caused controversy by claiming that all Northern Irish pupils should be given the opportunity to study Irish, that Northern Ireland's education system should be made more similar to that of the Republic of Ireland, and that “the debate on academic selection is now over”. Director of the Governing Bodies Association, which represents Ulster grammar schools, John Hart, said, “I think the minister is fooling only herself in trying to convince us that the debate surrounding academic selection is over. Some 26,000 parents last year did not think it was over. As we have said in the past, the minister washed her hands of responsibility for academic selection, so she would be better letting those with a more responsible approach get on with it, instead of petty badgering."