Aisling predicts 'fight at every turn' for language, pledges to deliver from heart of government

If being catapulted from back bench obscurity in the Assembly to a seat at the Stormont Executive table fazes West Belfast MLA Aisling Reilly, she’s not one to show it.

But then the pressures of political life are all relative when you’ve been to the very top of your sport - globally — and have the winner’s medals to prove it.

The Sinn Fein newbie was cast into the limelight early on the momentous Saturday when, after a two year hiatus, MLAs returned to vote in a new batch of ministers. For in an unexpected turn of affairs, she was selected to nominate the incoming First Minister Michelle O’Neill - while elder republican stateswomen and statesmen sat watching on

That was a precursor the Naomh Pól veteran’s selection by Sinn Féin as the party’s Junior Minister at the Executive Office.

Since then, the new minister has been flat-out fulfilling the duties of her office but this week she took a breather to chat with the Andersonstown News about her new role.

“May 2022 (when she was elected) feels like a long time ago," she said, "We were calling for 18 months to get back in, to get stuck in and deliver for the people who voted for us. So now we’re getting our sleeves rolled up. There’s a lot of work to be done but we’re up for it.

“I’m still finding my feet but we’re in the heart of the Executive."

In the twin approach embedded in the Good Friday Agreement, Aisling’s counterpart is Pam Cameron of the DUP.  “We work in tandem,” says Aisling.

The former world handball champion is well aware of the challenges facing the new Executive.

“At the moment we still have two and half years left of our mandate," she explains. “There are things we need to sort out right now like public sector pay and childcare but we also have strategies to introduce such as the violence against women and girls initiative which are waiting to go.”

In the four-party Executive, there is common ground around many issues, says Aisling.

“All parties around the table are on the same wavelength here, we want to work together to start delivering for people," she says.

“Collectively all parties realise pay for public sector workers is a huge issue. We stood shoulder to shoulder with workers on the picket line and they deserve fair pay.  We want to settle the issue – people should not have to stand on the picket lines and ask for fair pay. We want everybody to get what they deserve."

Tackling violence against women and girls is high on the new junior minister’s agenda.

“This is about protecting people and educating people across the whole of society. One death or attack is one too many and it affects wider society and families. It’s a big priority and we will be getting that legislation moved through."

In her own West Belfast constituency Aisling said bread and butter issues were the main concern of people who come in for advice, particularly concerning housing.

“The biggest issues for West Belfast are housing and roads. We have new, big social and affordable housing projects underway at the moment at Glenmona, St Gerard’s and at Newhill. Over the next few years we should see around 1,000 new homes in the area which will hopefully offer some relief in terms of housing stress."

There’s no surprise that the legendary Antrim GAA figure is determined to see Casement Park built.

“Casement Park will be a massive boost for West Belfast, for the economy, for the GAA and for the North," she says. "The gates were closed ten years ago and a whole generation of people have missed games there. Our Euro 2028 bid is secured and we absolutely would not want to lose that.

“On top of that you will be able to use Casement for hosting Ulster finals and getting kids back playing in Casement – that’s ultimately what we want to see."

As the first Stormont minister to have come through the Irish medium school system, Aisling is unabashedly pro-Irish language rights.

“As a Gaeilgeoir I want to see Acht na Gaelige in operation and a Commissioner in place to progress the legislation," she adds. "That’s an important issue for me, not even as a Junior Minister but as a proud Gaeilgeoir and as an Irish language speaker and activist.

“When I went to Coláiste Feirste, you didn’t see the language anywhere once you left the school every afternoon. We’re now seeing the language on the Falls Road and it has much more visibility and prominence, you can even hear the stops being read out in Irish on the Glider.  But there is a lot more work we need to do.

“There does seem to be a fight at every turn but it’s a language which is for everybody so the more we talk about it the easier progress will be.”

The elevation of Michelle O’Neill to the First Minister position has made a huge impression on the young MLA.

“Growing up I didn’t think we would ever see the day we would have an Irish Republican as First Minister and that in itself is huge," she says. “For me though it’s not about the title,  it’s about what you do with it. So we’re looking forward to the next 25 and 50 years. I’m loving being in the middle of it and being able to change peoples lives because that’s what you want to do, to leave the place in a better way than what you found it in."