Who was Martin McGuinness, how did he die and when did he resign as Northern Ireland deputy first minister?
Key figure in peace process and former IRA chief of staff died aged 66 - just months after leaving politics
NORTHERN Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA chief of staff Martin McGuinness died on March 21, 2017.
McGuinness, a key figure in the Northern Ireland peace process, died just two months after he stepped down as deputy first minister.
The 66-year-old Irish republican passed away after a short illness in Derry’s Altnagelvin hospital surrounded by his family.
It comes after he revealed he was battling a rare genetic disease – amyloidosis –which affects the tissues and organs.
Who is Martin McGuinness?
James Martin Pacelli McGuinness, 66, was an Irish republican Sinn Féin politician.
McGuinness, who was married with four children, was the IRA's chief of staff from 1979 until 1982.
He ran the terrorist organisation when Lord Mountbatten and 18 British soldiers were killed on the same day.
McGuinness later worked with Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair to help bring about the signing of the Good Friday agreement on April 10 1998.
The agreement was a major political development in the peace process that decided how Northern Ireland should be governed.
McGuinness served as deputy first minister of Northern Ireland between May 2007 to January 2017.
He attempted to run as Sinn Féin's candidate for President of Ireland in the 2011 election, but failed.
McGuinness was MP for Mid Ulster for 16 years until his resignation in 2013.
How did Martin McGuinness die?
The Sinn Féin politician had a rare genetic disease called amyloidosis caused by deposits of abnormal protein in tissues and organs.
His death will have a divided reaction in his home country and across the UK.
To his supporters he was a peacemaker who was willing to compromise and form ties with the unionists to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
To others he was a key figure in the IRA terrorist group that slaughtered more than 1,500 people in its conflict with Northern Ireland's unionists and the British government.
When did Martin McGuinness resign as Northern Ireland deputy first minister?
McGuinness officially stood down at 5pm on Monday, January 9 because of the refusal of the first minister, Arlene Foster, to stand down temporarily during an inquiry into a public energy scandal.
The Sinn Féin veteran said: “The First Minister has refused to stand aside, without prejudice, pending a preliminary report from an investigation.
“That position is not credible or tenable.
“We now need an election to allow the people to make their own judgement on these issues democratically, at the ballot box."
He added that First Minister Arlene Foster has a "clear conflict of interest" in the scandal.
But Foster believes his motive is "purely political" and has slammed his "unprincipled" decision to quit.
She said: "It is clear that Sinn Fein's actions are not principled, they are political."
What did McGuinness' resignation mean for Northern Ireland?
Power-sharing procedures in Northern Ireland mean that Foster can no long remain as First Minister without Mr McGuinness.
It could therefore trigger an election for the Northern Ireland Assembly.
It's believed an election will be held in late February or early March.
What is the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal?
The Renewable Heat Incentive scheme was set up in November 2012 in a bid to encourage businesses and other non-domestic to use renewable energy resources.
It offered a financial incentive to install renewable heat systems on their premises, including biomass boilers, mostly burning wood pellets, solar thermal and heat pumps.
But it is alleged this cash motivation led to fuel being pointlessly burnt.
The scheme was run by then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI). The DETI minister at the time was the now First Minister, Arlene Foster.
A lack of interest in the scheme meant that it underspent by £15million in 2014-15.
But suddenly in September, October and November 2015 a record 984 applications were received after officials said they would cut the subsidy before the change took effect.
The scheme was shut down in February 2016, the same month an investigation was launched.
It's after a whistleblower contacted the Northern Ireland Executive in January claiming the scheme was "being abused".
Businesses and other non-domestic users have been accused of using the scheme to exploit millions of pounds by installing boilers in places that had never been heated.
The scheme, known as the "cash for ash" scandal, has left the region facing a £490million overspend.
