STORMONT'S first nationalist speaker has announced that he will retire from the assembly at the end of the current mandate.
Mitchel McLaughlin said he will not seek re-election as an MLA next year after nearly two decades in the assembly.
The South Antrim MLA member was appointed speaker at the start of this year, replacing long-time incumbent Willie Hay.
The former Sinn Féin general secretary from Derry's Bogside had previously served as principal deputy speaker.
"I turned 70 over the Halloween period and I look forward to the opportunity of doing other things outside of the assembly," he told fellow MLAs as he revealed his retirement plans yesterday.
Mr McLaughlin's appointment as Sinn Féin's first assembly speaker came after a deal with the DUP to share the position across the current mandate. However, his election was delayed after the DUP accused Sinn Féin of reneging on a commitment to implement welfare reform. He was duly elected in January after republicans gave a commitment to implement the Stormont House Agreement, including welfare reform measures.
The father-of-three was first elected to the assembly in 1998 as representative for Foyle and re-elected in 2003. He transferred to the South Antrim constituency in 2007 where he topped the poll.
Sinn Féin Education Minister John O'Dowd and DUP chief whip Peter Weir both wished Mr McLaughlin well in his retirement during Tuesday's opening exchanges of assembly business.
