Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA

Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA was appointed Economy Minister on 3 February 2025.

Previous to this, Caoimhe served as Finance Minister from February 2024.

Caoimhe grew up in Coleraine.  She attended Loreto College, Coleraine and graduated from Queen’s University, Belfast with a BSc in Molecular Biology and a PhD by research with a Department of Agriculture and Rural Development studentship.  She also completed a Postgraduate diploma in Management & Corporate Governance at Ulster University.

Caoimhe was elected as an MLA for East Derry in May 2016 and re-elected in March 2017 and again in May 2022.

She is formerly Chair of the Assembly’s Economy and Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs committees. 

Prior to being elected in May 2016, Caoimhe had worked for almost a decade in applied horticulture and plant pathology research including on collaborative EU funded projects.