Emma is new MLA for Sinn Fein in South Down

Emma is new MLA for Sinn Fein in South Down

21 June 2017

A PROMINENT member of the Loughinisland Justice Group has been selected to replace Chris Hazzard as a South Down MLA.

Thirty one year-old Emma Rogan, whose father Adrian was one of six men who died in the Heights Bar atrocity in 1994, was selected at a special party meeting in Downpatrick on Friday evening.

Under Assembly double jobbing rules politicians cannot hold a job as an MP and an MLA so when Mr Hazzard won the recent Westminster election in South Down the search began for his replacement in Stormont.

Keen to find someone in the north of the constituency, Mr Hazzard approached Emma several days after his victory and after taking a few days to consider the proposal, she accepted the challenge.

Emma now joins Sinead Ennis as the party’s MLAs in South Down.

A single woman with a partner who lives in Loughinisland and who has spent the last 12 years working in banking, Emma said it came as a shock when she was asked to consider becoming an MLA

“I have followed Chris as our MLA quite closely and know him quite well and when he asked would I be interested, I didn’t have to think about it for too long,” she said.

Her interest in politics has been spurred by her involvement with the Loughinisland Justice Group  but her mother’s role as a nurse has left her acutely aware of the importance of easily accessible health services for rural communities.

“Among the major issues facing us are our health service and hospitals, and also the proposed closure of the social security offices in Ballynahinch,” she said,

“My mother is a nurse so it is something that we have first hand knowledge of and are aware of the resources they just don’t have. Making sure the local community has a hospital that is up and running and an accident and emergency that is viable and easily accessible is of critical importance,” she added.

Emma is looking forward to working with the people but knows becoming an MLA will be a major change in her life.

“It will be a big change and juggling family life and making sure it doesn’t suffer will be important. But I am looking forward to the challenge and I know how important it is to have a good, strong MLA, like Chris, so if I can be half the MLA he is, I’ll be doing all right.”

The outgoing MLA and new MP said he was delighted when Emma agreed to accept the post.

“Emma is being very modest and to some extent has been a community leader for some time without knowing it,” he said. “Young people in around Loughinisland, Teconnaught and Drumaness look up to her and the leadership she has provided so whenever I was looking for someone I knew there were established political representatives, but I think Emma will provide something different.

“She is 31, Sinead Ennis is 34 and I am 32 so it’s a good, fresh young team with a vision and a strong work ethic,” he added.