Sinn Féin's Máirtín Ó Muilleoir and Megan Fearon to quit NI Assembly

Megan Fearon and Máirtín Ó Muilleoir are quitting as assembly members

Two former Sinn Féin ministers have announced they are to step down from the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Ex-finance minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir is to quit as an MLA for South Belfast, saying it was time to hand over to a "newer generation" of republicans.

Ex-junior minister Megan Fearon, whose career began as Stormont's youngest MLA, will no longer represent Newry and Armagh and is leaving elected politics.

The Northern Ireland Assembly has not functioned for almost three years.

Stormont's power-sharing executive collapsed in January 2017 after a bitter split between the two biggest parties, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin.

Talks aimed at restoring the assembly resumed on Monday, after disappointing results for both parties in last week's general election.

'Always an activist'

Mr Ó Muilleoir is a high-profile Sinn Féin representative, having served both as finance minister in the assembly and lord mayor in Belfast City Council.

In a joint statement issued by the party, Mr Ó Muilleoir said: "It has been the greatest privilege of my life to represent the people of south and west Belfast for Sinn Féin in both City Hall and Stormont.

"But it is now time for me to hand over to a representative of a newer generation of republican activists.

"I want to thank all of those who have given me their support and assure them that I will remain a determined advocate of a better Belfast and a new and united Ireland."

Mr Ó Muilleoir and Ms Fearon were appointed as ministers by the late Martin McGuinness in 2016

Ms Fearon, from Drumintee in County Armagh, was just 20 when she became a member of the legislative assembly (MLA) in June 2012.

She was co-opted into a Newry and Armagh seat to replace the then MP Conor Murphy, as part of the party's phasing out of double jobbing.

In 2016 she was appointed as a junior minister in Stormont's Executive Office, but her role was short-lived as the executive fell apart seven months later.

"Representing Sinn Féin and the people of south Armagh has been an honour and one that I never took lightly," said Ms Fearon.

"I want to thank every single activist and voter for their support and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve.

"I will always be an activist but my time in electoral politics has ended."