Deirdre Hargey was born in Belfast in 1980 served on Belfast City Council from 2010 until being co-opted as an MLA in 2020 subsequently being also appointed as Minister for Communities. Hargey, hailing from the market area of the city is known for her campaigning on equality issues around housing and public services. As first citizen she highlighted issues around women's access to healthcare, the LGBT community and the Irish language.