Carmel Hanna
Encyclopedia
Carmel Hanna MLA is a Northern Irish politician. She is a member of the SDLP
and was MLA for South Belfast
from 1998 to 2010.
.
She came to Belfast
to train as a nurse at Belfast City Hospital
and qualified there as Registered Nurse and later at the Royal Maternity Hospital
as a State Certified Midwife. She worked in hospitals in Northern Ireland
, Republic of Ireland
, Great Britain
and mainland Europe.
After living and working abroad (which gave her a long term interest in third world development), she returned to Northern Ireland to work as a staff nurse in the Casualty department at the Mater Hospital
, Crumlin Road
, at the height of the Troubles
. Her experiences there made an indelible impression and strengthened her belief that political change must be made by peaceful means. She was active in the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Campaign
of the early 1970s.
She married Eamon Hanna in 1973. They have four adult children and they have lived and worked in Belfast, Dublin, Galway
and the United States
. In 1987 Carmel returned to work as a nurse and subsequently transferred to social services working for the South & East Belfast Trust assessing domiciliary care for the elderly. She also became an officer for her trade union, NIPSA
.
by election and Northern Ireland Forum
elections.
She was elected to Belfast City Council for the Balmoral area in 1997
. Her committee duties include Planning, Health & Environment and Cultural Diversity. She was elected to Northern Ireland Assembly
in June 1998. Hanna was Deputy Chair of the Environment Committee in the Northern Ireland Assembly until December 2001. She was appointed as Minister of Employment and Learning in December 2001.
During that period she:
She also chaired the All-Party Group on International Development in the Assembly, and has been involved with an adult literacy initiative and a strategy being developed on long-term employability.
Her stated major political aims are:
She resigned on 18 January 2010 as an MLA; Conall McDevitt
was sworn in to replace her on 21 January 2010.
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...
and was MLA for South Belfast
Belfast South (UK Parliament constituency)
Belfast South is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:The seat was created in 1922 when, as part of the establishment of the devolved Stormont Parliament for Northern Ireland, the number of MPs in the Westminster Parliament was drastically cut...
from 1998 to 2010.
Early life and nursing career
Born as Carmel McAleenan, the seventh of nine children, her father was a factory worker in a local packaging plant. She was educated at Star of the Sea Primary School in Warrenpoint, and Our Lady's Grammar School, NewryNewry
Newry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...
.
She came to 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...
to train as a nurse at Belfast City Hospital
Belfast City Hospital
The Belfast City Hospital located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a 900-bed modern university teaching hospital providing local acute services and key regional specialities. Its distinctive tower block dominates the Belfast skyline being the fourth tallest storeyed building in Ireland...
and qualified there as Registered Nurse and later at the Royal Maternity Hospital
Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast
The Royal Victoria Hospital is a hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
as a State Certified Midwife. She worked in hospitals in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and mainland Europe.
After living and working abroad (which gave her a long term interest in third world development), she returned to Northern Ireland to work as a staff nurse in the Casualty department at the Mater Hospital
Mater Infirmorum Hospital
The Mater Infirmorum Hospital, commonly known as The Mater is an acute hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland and serves a population of over 200,000 people. It provides services to most of North Belfast and South Antrim, reaching as far as Glengormley, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey. It also...
, Crumlin Road
Crumlin Road
The Crumlin Road is a main road in north-west Belfast, Northern Ireland. The road runs from north of Belfast City Centre for about four miles to the outskirts of the city. It also forms part of the longer A52 road.-Lower Crumlin Road:...
, at the height of the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
. Her experiences there made an indelible impression and strengthened her belief that political change must be made by peaceful means. She was active in the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Campaign
Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for equal civil rights for the all the people in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
of the early 1970s.
She married Eamon Hanna in 1973. They have four adult children and they have lived and worked in Belfast, Dublin, Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1987 Carmel returned to work as a nurse and subsequently transferred to social services working for the South & East Belfast Trust assessing domiciliary care for the elderly. She also became an officer for her trade union, NIPSA
NIPSA
NIPSA or the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance is a trade union based in Northern Ireland. It is the largest white collar trade union in Northern Ireland. It is organised into two distinct groupings, the Civil Service Group and the Public Officers Group...
.
Political career
Carmel first joined the SDLP in 1972 and was an ordinary member for many years as well as being secretary and committee member of the Galway and Dublin SDLP support groups. She became chairperson of her local branch in 1996, in which year she was also an SDLP candidate in a Belfast City CouncilBelfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
by election and Northern Ireland Forum
Northern Ireland Forum
The Northern Ireland Forum was a body set up in 1996 as part of a process of negotiations that eventually led to the Belfast Agreement in 1998....
elections.
She was elected to Belfast City Council for the Balmoral area in 1997
Northern Ireland local elections, 1997
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland on 21 May 1997, shortly after the 1997 general election across the entire United Kingdom.-Overall:-Belfast:-References:...
. Her committee duties include Planning, Health & Environment and Cultural Diversity. She was elected to 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...
in June 1998. Hanna was Deputy Chair of the Environment Committee in the Northern Ireland Assembly until December 2001. She was appointed as Minister of Employment and Learning in December 2001.
During that period she:
- Reformed third level student funding which NUS/USI has acknowledged as being the fairest in the UK and which increased grants for the least well off
- Put family-friendly legislation on the statute book, giving statutory paternity leave and extended maternity leave for both natural and adoptive parents, as well as the right to unpaid parental leave and flexible working time for parents with children under five and children up to eighteen with a disability.
- Developed radical initiatives to enhance employability and tackle long-term unemployment
- Gave life-long learning increased status and resources to tackle adult literacy and numeracy issues.
She also chaired the All-Party Group on International Development in the Assembly, and has been involved with an adult literacy initiative and a strategy being developed on long-term employability.
Her stated major political aims are:
- Preserving and enhancing South Belfast’s townscape character
- Improving health, education and social services
- Retaining maternity services at the Jubilee hospital
- Working on social justice and cultural issues
- Working for social inclusion
She resigned on 18 January 2010 as an MLA; Conall McDevitt
Conall McDevitt
Conall McDevitt became National Secretary of Labour Youth in 1993 and Vice President of ECOSY in 1994...
was sworn in to replace her on 21 January 2010.