Deirdre Hargey tells of 'liver failure' after return to work

Ms Hargey took over as Communities Minister when Stormont was restored in January

Deirdre Hargey has returned to her role as communities minister, after a serious health scare meant stepping aside for six months.

The Sinn Féin MLA took a break from the position after collapsing in June, and being found to have liver failure.

Ms Hargey said she had first thought the condition was indigestion and stress.

During her time away, Ms Hargey was replaced by former culture minister Carál Ní Chuilín.

"I'm a lot better than where I was in May and June of this year," she told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme on Wednesday.

Mrs Hargey expressed her thanks to all of the workers in Northern Ireland's health care system.

She said she had been lucky to have only been in hospital for a limited time, and that other people had been separated from their friends and family for longer periods due to Covid-19 restrictions.

'I couldn't eat'

Speaking to the Irish News, Ms Hargey said she has lupus, and some other treatable conditions, and that in March she had started "feeling real pain".

She said this continued until June, when she collapsed, and was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital's Emergency Department.

Initially, she was told she had an infection of the gallbladder and sent home, before her condition deteriorated.

"I started to turn yellow, I couldn't eat and was nauseous and throwing up, so went back to hospital and it turned out my liver was failing," she told the paper.

'Welcome back'

Writing on social media on Wednesday, Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she was "delighted" to welcome Mrs Hargey back to her position.

Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong, who is deputy chair of the executive's Committee for Communities, said she was "looking forward to continuing working to deliver our huge portfolio".

Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken also greeted the return of Ms Hargey, and thanked Carál Ní Chuilín for stepping into the role.