Claire Hanna (politician)

Claire Hanna MLA
File:Claire Hanna.JPG
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Befast South
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 June 2015
Preceded by	Alasdair McDonnell
Personal details
Born	(1980-06-19) 19 June 1980 Connemara, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	SDLP
Spouse(s)	Donal Lyons
Children	2
Alma mater	Open University Queen's University Belfast
Religion	Roman Catholic

Claire Hanna (born 19 June 1980) is a SDLP politician from Northern Ireland. She is an MLA for Befast South, replacing Alasdair McDonnell, who stepped down to concentrate on his role as MP.

Background

Born in Connemara, County Galway, Hanna has lived in South Belfast since the age of three. She attended St Bride's Primary and Rathmore Grammar School. She has an honours degree in International Relations from the Open University and recently completed a master's degree in Law at Queen’s University Belfast. Her professional background is in international development, most recently in a policy and education role, and included work in Bangladesh, Haiti and Zambia. She is married to Belfast SDLP Councillor Donal Lyons and they have two children.

Political career

Hanna was elected to Belfast City Council, representing the Balmoral ward, from 2011 until her appointment as MLA, winning re-election in 2014. During her time in council, she sat on the Strategic Policy & Resources and Town Planning committees as well as the Historic Centenaries Working group.

She brought the motion that led to Belfast becoming the first Living Wage council in Ireland – paying a fair wage to all employees – and introduced measures to combat the rise of predatory pay day lending, as well as leading successful campaigns for the reinstatement of Lisburn Road Post Office in 2013, better traffic management in Finaghy in 2014 and on a variety of issues like improving recycling facilities and sustainable transport.

She secured all party agreement to award the Freedom of Belfast to poet Michael Longley. She initiated a campaign to name the new Greenway bridge after playwright and trade unionist Sam Thompson. In the Assembly, she serves on the Regional Development Committee, the Public Accounts Committee and the Environment Committee and she chairs the Assembly All Party Groups on International Development and the Arts.

Hanna was the first member of the SDLP to express concern about the decision of SDLP Newry councillors to vote to name a playpark after IRA hunger striker Raymond McCreesh.

During the same period, Hanna was chair of the East Belfast Policing Board and Community Partnership and her home was attacked in the midst of the flag protests.