evidence: Sinn Féin’s O’Dowd is a former Minister of Education in the Northern Executive, and enjoys senior standing within his party. [...] The former chef, a native of Banbridge, Co Down was first elected to the Northern Assembly in 2003. He served as Minister for Education from 2011 until 2016. Another measure of his prominence within Sinn Féin is reflected in the fact that when Martin McGuinness unsuccessfully ran for the Irish presidency in 2011, O’Dowd was selected to stand in for him as Deputy First Minister. He held that post for six weeks alongside DUP First Minister Peter Robinson.