A Sinn Féin member of Belfast City Council, Eoin Ó Broin, has resigned.
The North Belfast Councillor, who has been prominent on issues such as controversial marches in Ardoyne, is taking up a new position as Sinn Féin's Director of European Affairs, based in Belfast.
The party's new European department will oversee the work of its two MEPs in Ireland and Europe and will have a total staff of nine.
Mr Ó Broin's position will involve the political management and co-ordination of the new department. He said his new position represented a significant challenge for himself and for the party.
Mr Ó Broin said that Sinn Féin wanted to take its same radical and committed approach to the area as it has done at local government, the Assembly and Leinister House, and other political arenas.
