Iris Robinson MP MLA
Spokesman for Health, Youth and Women
Incumbent
Assumed office  2001
Constituency	Strangford (MP & MLA)
Born	September 6, 1949 (1949-09-06) (age 58) Belfast, Northern Ireland
Political party	Democratic Unionist Party
Spouse	Peter Robinson
Website	official website

Iris Robinson (born 6 September 1949 in Belfast as Iris Collins) is a Northern Ireland Unionist politician. If you hold the copyright to an image (e. ... Open seat redirects here. ... Strangford is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital city of Northern Ireland. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... This article is about the political party in Northern Ireland. ... Peter David Robinson (born December 29, 1948) is a Democratic Unionist Party Member of Parliament for East Belfast. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital city of Northern Ireland. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... In the context of Irish politics, Unionists are people in Northern Ireland, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union 1800, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which Northern Ireland, created in that latter Act, remains part of the United Kingdom of Great...

She is the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Member of the British parliament (MP) for Strangford, and was first elected in the 2001 general election, replacing Ulster Unionist Party MP, John Taylor. She was re-elected in the 2005 General Election. This article is about the political party in Northern Ireland. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Speaker of the House of Lords Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist... Strangford is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... Tony Blair William Hague Charles Kennedy The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party) is a moderate unionist political party in Northern Ireland. ... John David Taylor, Baron Kilclooney, PC (NI), MLA (born 24 December 1937) is a former Ulster Unionist Party MP and now a life peer. ... The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005. ...

She has previously been a councillor and Mayor of Castlereagh Borough Council, and was and continues to be a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Strangford. Castlereagh Borough Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. ... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly, a six flowered linen or flax plant. ...

She is married to Peter Robinson, who is currently First Minister and the DUP leader, MP for Belfast East, Assembly member and a former Castlereagh councillor. Peter David Robinson (born December 29, 1948) is a Democratic Unionist Party Member of Parliament for East Belfast. ... The Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) (Irish: Oifig an Chéad-Aire agus an LeasChéad-Aire, Ulster Scots: Offis o tha Heid Männystèr an tha Heid Männystèr Depute) is the Northern Ireland government department with overall responsibility for the...

Controversy

Robinson was suspended from Stormont for a day on Monday 19th November 2007 after refusing to withdraw 'unparliamentary' comments she had made about the health minister, Michael McGimpsey.^[1] Michael McGimpsey (born July 1, 1948) is a Northern Ireland unionist politician, and Ulster Unionist Party Member of the Legislative Assembly for Belfast South. ...

In June 2008, shortly after a homophobic attack on a gay man in the province, she made comments on the BBC Radio Ulster's Stephen Nolan Show calling for homosexuals to seek psychiatric counselling.^[2] While condemning the attack,^[3] she said during the broadcast: "I have a very lovely psychiatrist who works with me in my offices and his Christian background is that he tries to help homosexuals - trying to turn away from what they are engaged in,". She went on to say "I'm happy to put any homosexual in touch with this gentleman and I have met people who have turned around and become heterosexuals." Mrs Robinson claimed that homosexuality was an "abomination" and it made her feel "sick" and "nauseous". In a subsequent interview following criticism of her comments, Mrs Robinson defended her views and denied prejudice against homosexuals, saying that "just as a murderer can be redeemed by the blood of Christ, so can a homosexual. ... If anyone takes issue, they're taking issue with the word of God." ^[4] BBC Radio Ulster is a BBC Radio station based in Belfast and is part of BBC Northern Ireland. ... Since coming to BBC Radio Ulster in January 2004, The Stephen Nolan Radio Show has become essential listening every morning. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that studies and treats mental and emotional disorders (see mental illness). ... Psychotherapy is a set of techniques believed to cure or to help solve behavioral and other psychological problems in humans. ...

Her claims were rebuffed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, David McCartney from the Rainbow Project, and Sinn Féin's Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane.^[5] The Royal College of Psychiatrists has been in existence in some form since 1841. ... Project Rainbow is the name commonly given to two separate alleged United States secret military projects in the 20th century, both concerned with stealth and radar invisibility: one of which is considered a conspiracy theory while the other appears to be factual. ... For pre-Arthur Griffith use of the political name, see Sinn Féin (19th century). ... Caitríona Ruane MLA (b. ...

She is now also under a police "hate crime"^[6] investigation for those comments^[7] as 2 separate complaints have been made against her the first by Andrew Muir, the vice chair of Gay and Lesbian across Down^[7] and the second by a member of the South Belfast District Policing Partnership.^[8]

References

This article refers to the news department of the British Broadcasting Corporation, for the BBC News Channel see BBC News (TV channel). ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Iris Robinson MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Iris Robinson MP
• Maiden Speech : House of Commons - 25 June 2001