Carmel Hanna facts for kids

Carmel Hanna (born Carmel McAleenan on April 26, 1946) is a politician from Northern Ireland. She was a member of the SDLP. For over a decade, she represented the people of South Belfast in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Before her political career, she worked as a nurse.

Early Life and Nursing Career

Carmel Hanna was born in Warrenpoint, County Down. She was the seventh of nine children. Her father worked in a local factory. She went to Star of the Sea Primary School and later Our Lady's Grammar School in Newry.

In 1964, she moved to Belfast to become a nurse. She trained at Belfast City Hospital and became a Registered Nurse in 1967. She also trained to be a midwife, a nurse who helps with childbirth, at the Royal Maternity Hospital. Her nursing career took her to hospitals in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Great Britain, and other parts of Europe.

After working abroad, she returned to Northern Ireland. She worked as a nurse in the emergency room at the Mater Hospital in Belfast. This was during a difficult time in Northern Ireland's history known as the Troubles.

Experience During The Troubles

Working in a hospital during the Troubles, a period of conflict in Northern Ireland, had a big impact on her. Seeing the effects of violence up close made her believe strongly that political problems should be solved peacefully. During the early 1970s, she took part in the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Campaign, which worked for equal rights for all citizens.

Path to Politics

Carmel married Eamon Hanna in 1973, and they have four children. Her family lived and worked in different places, including Belfast, Dublin, Galway, and the United States.

In 1987, she returned to nursing and later worked in social services. She helped assess the care needed for elderly people in their homes. She also became an officer for her trade union, NIPSA, which represents public service workers.

Carmel joined the SDLP in 1972. For many years, she was a regular member. In 1996, she became the chairperson of her local SDLP branch. That same year, she ran for a seat on the Belfast City Council and in the Northern Ireland Forum elections.

In 1997, she was successfully elected to the Belfast City Council. She worked on committees for planning, health, and the environment.

A Career in the Assembly

In 1998, Carmel Hanna was elected to the new Northern Ireland Assembly to represent South Belfast. The Assembly is the parliament for Northern Ireland, where politicians make laws and decisions for the region.

She became the Deputy Chair of the Environment Committee. In December 2001, she was given an important job as the Minister of Employment and Learning. As a minister, she was in charge of a government department that focused on jobs and education. Her time as minister ended in October 2002 when the Assembly was temporarily suspended.

Important Work and Achievements

Carmel Hanna was passionate about helping people in developing countries. She started a group in the Assembly called the All-Party Group on International Development.

She also played a key role in starting an important investigation. After reports came out about the mistreatment of children in homes run by the state and church in the Republic of Ireland, she called for a similar inquiry in Northern Ireland. In 2009, her proposal was approved by the Assembly, which led to the Hart Inquiry.

Her main political goals included:

• Protecting the special character of South Belfast's neighborhoods.
• Improving healthcare, schools, and social services.
• Fighting for social justice and equality.
• Making sure everyone feels included in society.

Resignation and Legacy

Carmel Hanna was first diagnosed with cancer in 2000. On January 18, 2010, she resigned from her position as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) because of her health.

For her work, she received a Lifetime Achievement award in 2010 from the Royal College of Nursing. For many years, she was the only registered nurse serving in the Assembly. After her resignation, SDLP leader Mark Durkan praised her for serving with "dignity, determination and dedication."

Her daughter, Claire Hanna, has followed in her footsteps. Claire was elected to the Belfast City Council in 2011, served as an MLA for Belfast South, and in 2019 became the Member of Parliament (MP) for Belfast South in the UK Parliament in Westminster.