The DUP Assembly member was elected to the position as Speaker of the Assembly when devolution returned on May 8 and, since then, has presided over hundreds of debates in the "big house on the hill".

With more than 25 years service on Derry City Council, Mr. Hay is no stranger to political debate. Born in Co. Donegal before moving to Derry, politics is something of a family business for Mr. Hay as his mother, Anna, was the first DUP politician elected to the local council.
Debates in the Assembly have had a tendency to get heated in the past but, in the new dispensation, relations appear to be improving.

Mr. Hay says that keeping harmony among the MLAs is a job he enjoys: "It is a position that you have to enjoy. More than anything else, I believe that is it about providing service. I have a great relationship with the party whips and that is a great help. It is the party whips and the members themselves who are responsible for their own discipline both in the chamber and in the house," he said.

The Speaker says he tries to encourage lively debate at Stormont. "Most of the debates in the Chamber have been measured. Certainly from time to time, there have been issues which resulted in a, let's say, rise in the temperature of the debate but for the most part it has been measured. I like a good debate and I like to have a bit of banter in the Chamber because I think it is healthy and creates a better working atmosphere. I don't see anything wrong with that.

"It is only when members step outside the rules and breach the Code of Conduct that I, as Speaker, or the deputy Speakers, have to intervene. But, thankfully, that does not happen too often. Even in those debates where passions have been stirred and the temperature has risen, it has still been reasonably measured. Certainly I can remember debates in the Assembly years ago when the tone of the argument would have been much stronger and tempers would have flared. That has changed in the current Assembly and it would be fair to say that most of the debates which have taken place in the Chamber have been measured and reasonably good natured," he said.

While he clearly enjoys his new role, he admits that he misses the cut and thrust of politics.

"That is the only part of the job that I do miss. I miss the cut and thrust of taking part in debates in the Chamber and the cut and thrust of politics in general. I have been involved in politics for more than 30 years, on occasions at the cutting edge of politics, and this role has been a big change for me. I do miss all of the direct involvement that I used to have but my role now is to be independent and it is a role which brings its own exciting challenges.

"I always ensure that I am independent in my relationships with Assembly members and always work to keep the trust of members. I am there to service the MLAs and I certainly see myself as a servant of the Assembly. I enjoy that role but it is certainly true to say that I hugely miss the cut and thrust of politics," he explained.

Since becoming Speaker, Mr. Hay's workload has increased dramatically. Indeed, he has to make the 180 mile round trip between Derry and Stormont every day. "I leave home most mornings about 7am in order to get to Stormont and I would not usually return to the Foyle constituency until 8.30pm. The days are long and, at times, the workload is immense.

"Of course, as well as my role as Speaker I still have my constituency work to do. It is very important to me to be able to represent the Foyle constituency in the Assembly and making sure the needs of my constituents are met. No matter what job you hold in public life, you can't forget that your first loyalty has to be with the people who elected you.

'Good grounding at Council'

"I am extremely fortunate that I have a full time constituency office in Foyle with three excellent staff who look after things when I am in Stormont. The office is open full time and is always extremely busy. I have always believed that the key to success in politics is to make sure you service the needs of those in your constituency. I am still very much on the ground in the Foyle constituency and spend all day Friday there and most of Saturday," he said.

The Speaker says his new duties in Stormont have come at the expense of his position on Derry City Council. "I desperately miss local government because I have always enjoyed it since I was first elected to Council in 1981. It has given me a great grounding and it has also provided a good grounding in politics for many other members of the Assembly.

"Local government has changed immensely over the years. They are now dealing with a lot more issues than they used to, including economic development and job creation. A lot of people think local government is only there to lift the bins and bury the dead, but I can assure you they do much more than that.

"The problem I have as Speaker, is that I find it difficult to get to Council meetings. I also have to be very careful about what debates I take part in because many of the issues discussed there will eventually find their way to the floor of the Assembly. I will have to look very carefully at my position as regards local government but before I do anything I will have to discuss it with my local party. It is not anything the party need to be worried about as we have quite a number of good young people in the party locally so co-option would not be a problem. It is something I will be seriously looking at over the next few months," he said.

Mr. Hay insists his role as Speaker is to ensure that the Assembly is allowed to get on with the business of making a difference for the people of Northern Ireland.

"The Assembly is in place to improve the lives of all the people of Northern Ireland and if this Assembly is to be successful then we have to close the gap between the Assembly and the ordinary people. We need to be changing the lives of the people because that is what they have elected us to do," he said.