SINN Féin's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill has ruled herself out from replacing Gerry Adams as party leader following his announcement that he is to stand down as Sinn Féin President.
Mrs O'Neill told BBC's Sunday Politics programme that she had "enough to do" in her current role as leader of Sinn Féin in the Northern Assembly.
"Leadership means knowing when it's time for change and that time is now," the 69-year-old said.
It is expected that a special party conference will be held next year to elect a new president. decision on who I'd support that time."
She said: “It will be a very healthy process.”
Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald is the front-runner to replace Mr Adams.
Mrs O'Neill was appointed Sinn Féin's Stormont leader in January 2017 after former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness retired due to ill health.
She said she would not be entering the Sinn Féin leadership race and would be concentrating on dealing "with the problems in the north".
She added that it was an "emotional but also an exciting time for republican politics".
