Iris Robinson (née Collins; born 6 September 1949) is a former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician in Northern Ireland.
In 1998 she was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for the Democratic Unionist Party as member for Strangford, acting as Deputy Whip and health spokesperson.
[5] In December 2009, Robinson announced that she would leave politics and withdraw from public life following prolonged periods of mental illness.
[18] In her maiden speech she spoke about the "betrayal" felt by the Royal Ulster Constabulary, criticising the Government's policy on policing.
[20] Robinson was suspended from Stormont for a day on 19 November 2007 after refusing to withdraw "unparliamentary" comments she had made about the health minister, Michael McGimpsey.
Speaking in a 17 June 2008 Northern Ireland Grand Committee session on Risk Assessment and Management of Sex Offenders, she said: "There can be no viler act, apart from homosexuality and sodomy, than sexually abusing innocent children.
[41] This statement was challenged when Alliance Party Executive Director Gerry Lynch confirmed with Hansard staff that Robinson's comments were in fact correctly quoted.
[42] Further controversy was caused on 17 July 2008 when on The Nolan Show Robinson stated "it is the government's responsibility to uphold God's law".
[46] By late July 2008, the Belfast Telegraph reported that "[A]lmost 11,000 people have signed a petition calling on British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to reprimand DUP MP Iris Robinson over her controversial remarks about homosexuality" and "[Fewer than] 30 people have signed an opposing petition calling on the Prime Minister to allow the comments to go un-reprimanded as a matter of personal opinion and religion".
The couple were described as the "swish family Robinson" by the News of the World and Daily Mail after claims that they were receiving £571,939.41 a year in various salaries and expenses.
[51][52][53] On 28 December 2009, and immediately prior to the airing of an investigative BBC programme looking at her personal life and financial dealings, Robinson announced her decision to retire from politics after claiming that she had been suffering serious bouts of stress and depression.
It is alleged that Peter pressed his wife to return this money – however, he did not inform the proper authorities about the large monetary transactions, which is a breach of his duty and responsibility as First Minister of Northern Ireland.
Castlereagh Borough Council announced on 14 January 2010 that it had voted to carry out an external investigation in the catering contract awarded to Kirk McCambley.
Terms of reference for the investigation include identifying if the Council incurred any financial loss and whether officers and elected representatives complied with the requirements of all relevant local government legislation and guidance in the awarding the lease for the Lock-Keeper's Inn.
[66] Robinson made her first appearance in public almost seven months after her return, at the funeral of her mother at Bethany Free Presbyterian Church in County Armagh on 14 April 2011.
Her husband stated his wife was too ill to attend the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton on 29 April 2011.
Abomination, A DUP Opera, composed by Conor Mitchell, opened the 2019 Outburst Queer Arts Festival at the Lyric Theatre.