Sinn Féin MLA Aisling Reilly has announced she will not stand in the next Assembly election, due in 2027.

Ms Reilly, who represents West Belfast, said she will undergo a hip operation and will need time to recover. She said many years of playing sport at a demanding level have taken their toll.

She said she wants to give Sinn Féin the best chance of winning the maximum number of seats in the constituency, and so is announcing her decision now.

Ms Reilly has been an MLA since 2021. In 2022, she delivered the first speech entirely in Irish in the Assembly chamber. She is a former GAA handball world champion.

She currently serves as a junior minister in the Executive Office.

In a statement, she said it had been the absolute honour of her life to serve the constituency.