fbpx
Wikipedia

Northern Ireland Executive

March 29, 2023

"Cabinet of Northern Ireland" redirects here. For the cabinet of the devolved government from 1922 to 1972, see Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Executive is the devolved government of Northern Ireland, an administrative branch of the legislature – the Northern Ireland Assembly. It is answerable to the assembly and was initially established according to the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which followed the Good Friday Agreement (or Belfast Agreement). The executive is referred to in the legislation as the Executive Committee of the assembly and is an example of consociationalist ("power-sharing") government.

Northern Ireland Executive
Overview
Established2 December 1999 (1999-12-02)
StateNorthern Ireland
LeaderFirst Minister and deputy First Minister
Appointed byNorthern Ireland Assembly
Main organExecutive Committee
Annual budget£12.2 billion (2020–21)[1]
HeadquartersStormont Castle, Stormont Estate, Belfast
Websitenorthernireland.gov.uk

The Northern Ireland Executive consists of the First Minister and deputy First Minister and various ministers with individual portfolios and remits. The main assembly parties appoint most ministers in the executive, except for the Minister of Justice who is elected by a cross-community vote. It is one of three devolved governments in the United Kingdom, the others being the Scottish and Welsh governments.

In January 2017, the then deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest over the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal and the Northern Ireland Executive consequently collapsed.[2] The governing of Northern Ireland fell to civil servants in a caretaker capacity until January 2020, when the parties signed the New Decade, New Approach agreement and an Executive was subsequently established.[3]

Legal basis

The Executive (and the Assembly) were established in law by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 that followed the Good Friday Agreement and its basis was revised by the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 that followed the St Andrews Agreement of that year.

Ministers

On 9 May 2016,[4] the number of ministries and departments of the Northern Ireland Executive was reduced, leaving the following departments:[5]

At the same time, various departments were renamed as follows:

  • The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister was renamed the Executive Office
  • The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development was renamed the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
  • The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment was renamed the Department for the Economy
  • The Department of Finance and Personnel was renamed the Department of Finance
  • The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety was renamed the Department of Health
  • The Department for Regional Development was renamed the Department for Infrastructure
  • The Department for Social Development was renamed the Department for Communities

The following departments were dissolved:

Structure

In contrast with Westminster system cabinets, which generally need only be backed by a majority of legislators, ministerial positions in the Northern Ireland Executive are allocated to parties with significant representation in the Assembly. With the exception of justice, the number of ministries to which each party is entitled is determined by the D'Hondt system.

In effect, major parties cannot be excluded from participation in government and power-sharing is enforced by the system. The form of government is therefore known as mandatory coalition as opposed to voluntary coalition where parties negotiate an agreement to share power. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and some Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) members favour a move towards voluntary coalition in the longer term but this is currently[when?] opposed by Sinn Féin.[citation needed]

The executive cannot function if either of the two largest parties refuse to take part, as these parties are allocated the First Minister and deputy First Minister positions. However, other parties are not required to enter the executive even if they are entitled to do so; instead, they can choose to go into opposition if they wish. There were some calls for the SDLP and the UUP to enter opposition after the 2007 Assembly elections,[6] but ultimately the two parties chose to take the seats in the Executive to which they were entitled.

In 2010, an exception to the D'Hondt system for allocating the number of ministerial portfolios was made under the Hillsborough Castle Agreement to allow the cross-community Alliance Party of Northern Ireland to hold the politically contentious policing and justice brief when most of those powers were devolved to the Assembly. Devolution took place on 12 April 2010.

Under D'Hondt, the SDLP would have been entitled to the extra ministerial seat on the revised Executive created by the devolution of policing and justice. Accordingly, both the UUP and SDLP protested that Alliance was not entitled, under the rules of the Good Friday Agreement, to fill the portfolio and refused to support this move. However, Alliance leader David Ford was elected Minister with the support of the DUP and Sinn Féin.

On 26 August 2015, the UUP announced it would withdraw from the Executive and form an opposition after all, in response to the assassination of Kevin McGuigan.

On 25 May 2016 a new executive was announced (three weeks after assembly election). For the first time in the assembly's history, parties that were entitled to ministries (i.e. UUP, SDLP and Alliance) chose instead to go into opposition following a recent bill providing parties with this choice. This meant that the executive was formed only by the two major parties, the DUP and Sinn Féin, and thus giving them more seats in the Executive (with the exception of the Department of Justice which was given to an Independent Unionist MLA, Claire Sugden, due to this appointment needing cross-community support).[7]

Procedure

 
Stormont Castle, seat of the Executive

The Executive is co-chaired by the First Minister and deputy First Minister. Its official functions are:

  • acting as a forum for the discussion of, and agreement on, issues which cut across the responsibilities of two or more ministers;
  • prioritising executive and legislative proposals;
  • discussing and agreeing upon significant or controversial matters; and
  • recommending a common position where necessary (e.g. in dealing with external relationships).[8]

Executive meetings are normally held fortnightly, compared to weekly meetings of the British Cabinet and Irish Government. Under the Executive's Ministerial Code, ministers are obliged to:[9]

The Ministerial Code allows any three ministers to request a cross-community vote. The quorum for voting is seven ministers.

 
Dundonald House, home to various government agencies

The current system of devolution has succeeded long periods of direct rule (1974–1999 and 2002–2007), when the Northern Ireland Civil Service had a considerable influence on government policy. The legislation which established new departments in 1999 affirmed that "the functions of a department shall at all times be exercised subject to the direction and control of the Minister".[10] Ministerial powers can be conferred by an Act of the Assembly[11] and ministers can also exercise executive powers which are vested in the Crown.[12]

Ministers are also subject to several limitations, including the European Convention on Human Rights, European Union law, other international obligations of the UK,[13] a requirement not to discriminate on religious or political grounds,[14] and having no power over reserved and excepted matters (which are held by the United Kingdom Government).[15]

Ministerial decisions can be challenged by a petition of 30 Northern Ireland Assembly members. This action can be taken for alleged breaches of the Ministerial Code and on "matters of public importance". The Speaker of the Assembly must consult political party leaders in the Assembly (who are often also ministers) before deciding whether the subject is a matter of public importance. Successful petitions will then be considered by the Executive.[16]

The number of ministers and their responsibilities can be changed when a department is being established or dissolved. The proposal must be made by the First Minister and the deputy First Minister and be carried by a cross-community vote in the Assembly. The number of departments was initially limited to 10 but this increased to 11 upon the devolution of justice.[17]

Ministers are disqualified from holding office if appointed to the Government of Ireland or as the chairman or deputy chairman of an Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) committee.[18]

Strategies

The Good Friday Agreement states that the Executive will "seek to agree each year, and review as necessary" a Programme for Government incorporating an agreed budget.[8]

The following programmes for government have been published to date:

  • Draft Programme for Government (2001–2002) (25 October 2000)
  • Draft Programme for Government (2002–2003) (24 September 2001)
  • Programme for Government 2008–2011 (22 January 2008)
  • Programme for Government 2011–2015 (12 March 2012)

The following budgets have been published to date:

  • Budget 2008–11
  • Budget 2011–15

Under the St Andrews Agreement, the Executive is obliged to adopt strategies on the following policy matters:

  • enhancing and protecting the development of the Irish language;
  • enhancing and developing Ulster Scots language, heritage and culture; and
  • tackling poverty, social exclusion and patterns of deprivation based on objective need.[19][20]

The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister published a child poverty strategy in March 2011.[21] The wider anti-poverty strategy was carried over from direct rule in November 2006.[22] As of November 2011, neither an Irish language strategy nor an Ulster Scots strategy had been adopted. The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure states that a Strategy for Indigenous or Regional Minority Languages "will be presented to the Executive in due course".[23]

History

Main article: List of Northern Ireland Executives

1974

The original Northern Ireland Executive was established on 1 January 1974, following the Sunningdale Agreement. It comprised a voluntary coalition between the Ulster Unionist Party, Social Democratic and Labour Party and Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, with the UUP's Brian Faulkner in the position of Chief Executive. It was short-lived, collapsing on 28 May 1974 due to the Ulster Workers' Council strike, and the Troubles continued in the absence of a political settlement.

Composition since devolution

Historical composition of the Northern Ireland Executive
Executive (Assembly) Date Event Mandatory coalition:
Executive Office 		Other departments Cross-community
appointment: Justice 		D'Hondt method allocation Vacant
FM & j.m. dFM & j.m.
UUP (U) SDLP (N) DUP (U) SF (N) Alli. (O)
1st E. (1st A.) 1 July 1998 formation UUP SDLP 10 - 3 3 2 2 0 0
14 October 2002 dissolution 10 10
2nd E. (3rd A.) 8 May 2007 formation DUP SF 10 - 2 1 4 3 0 0
12 April 2010 devolution DUP SF 11 Alliance 2 1 4 3 0 0
11 May 2011 dissolution 11 11
3rd E. (4th A.) 16 May 2011 formation DUP SF 11 Alliance 1 1 4 3 1 0
1 September 2015 resignation DUP SF 11 Alliance R 1 4 3 1 1
20 October 2015 reallocation DUP SF 11 Alliance R 1 5 3 1 0
16 May 2016 dissolution 11 11
4th E. (5th A.) 26 May 2016 formation DUP SF 8 Ind. (U) R R 4 3 0 0
16 January 2017 dissolution 8 8
5th E. (6th A.), (7th A.) 11 Jan 2020 formation DUP SF 8 Alliance 1 1 3 2 0 0
16 May 2022 reallocation Vacant 1 R 3 3 0 0
FM, dFM = First and deputy First Minister; j.m. = junior minister; R = resigned or refused posts entitled to under the D'Hondt method.

1998–2002

The current Executive was provided for in the Belfast Agreement, signed on 10 April 1998. Designates for First Minister and deputy First Minister were appointed on 1 July 1998 by the UUP and SDLP, respectively.[24] A full Executive was nominated on 29 November 1999 and took office on 2 December 1999, comprising the UUP, SDLP, Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin.[25] Devolution was suspended for four periods, during which the departments came under the responsibility of direct rule ministers from the Northern Ireland Office:

The 2002–2007 suspension followed the refusal of the Ulster Unionist Party to share power with Sinn Féin after a high-profile Police Service of Northern Ireland investigation into an alleged Provisional Irish Republican Army spy ring.[34]

2007–2011

The second Executive formed in 2007 was led by the DUP and Sinn Féin, with the UUP and SDLP also securing ministerial roles.[35]

However, the Executive did not meet between 19 June 2008 and 20 November 2008 due to a boycott by Sinn Féin. This took place during a dispute between the DUP and Sinn Féin over the devolution of policing and justice powers.[36] Policing and justice powers were devolved on 12 April 2010, with the new Minister of Justice won by Alliance in a cross-community vote.[37]

2011–2016

Following the Northern Ireland Assembly election held on 5 May 2011, a third Executive was formed on 16 May 2011 with the same five parties represented. Alliance for the first time gained administration of a department under the D'Hondt system, in addition to the Department of Justice.

Peter Robinson of the DUP and Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin were nominated by their parties and appointed as First Minister and deputy First Minister on 12 May 2011. Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister opposed the joint appointment.[38] On 16 May 2011, 10 other Executive ministers (with the exception of the Minister of Justice) and two junior ministers were appointed by their political parties. The Minister of Justice was then elected by the Assembly via a cross-community vote.[39]

On 26 August 2015, the UUP withdrew from the Executive in protest over the alleged involvement of members of the Provisional IRA in the murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr.[40] Danny Kennedy MLA's position as Minister for Regional Development was later taken over by the DUP, thereby leaving four Northern Irish parties in the power sharing agreement. On 10 September 2015 Peter Robinson stepped down as First Minister, although he did not officially resign. Arlene Foster took over as acting First Minister.[41] Robinson subsequently resumed his duties as First Minister again on 20 October 2015.[42]

Following the signing of the Fresh Start Agreement, Peter Robinson announced his intention to stand down as leader of the DUP and First Minister of Northern Ireland. He subsequently resigned as DUP leader on 18 December 2015, being succeeded by Arlene Foster. Foster then took office as First Minister on 11 January 2016.[43]

2016–2017

The fourth Executive was formed following the May 2016 election. The SDLP, UUP and Alliance Party left the Executive and formed the Official Opposition for the first time. Ministerial positions were proportionally allocated between the DUP and Sinn Féin, with independent unionist Claire Sugden serving as Minister of Justice. The government collapsed on 16 January 2017, after Martin McGuinness resigned in protest over the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal. His resignation sparked a snap election as Sinn Féin refused to re-nominate a deputy First Minister.

In 2018, Arlene Foster stated that the ongoing political deadlock was caused by Sinn Féin's insistence on an Irish Language Act that would grant legal status to the Irish language in Northern Ireland, which Foster's party refuses to allow.[44]

Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Act 2019

Main article: Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019

The Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2019 was passed by the UK parliament on 10 July 2019[45] and became law on 24 July.[46] The main purpose of the bill was to prevent another election and keep Northern Ireland services running in the absence of a functional devolved government. However, two Labour MPs, Conor McGinn and Stella Creasy, added amendments that would legalize same-sex marriage and liberalize abortion law (both devolved issues) if the DUP and Sinn Féin could not come to an agreement before 21 October.[45]

Reformation

On 11 January 2020, the Executive was re-formed with Arlene Foster as First Minister and Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill as deputy First Minister following the New Decade, New Approach agreement. All five parties joined the government; other ministers include Edwin Poots (DUP); Robin Swann (UUP), Nichola Mallon (SDLP), Gordon Lyons (DUP), and Declan Kearney (SF). Alliance Party leader Naomi Long was appointed justice minister. At the first session of the assembly, Foster stated that it was "time for Stormont to move forward". The new speaker of the assembly is a member of Sinn Féin.[47] The collapse of this executive led to the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election.

Executive committee

Main article: List of Northern Ireland Executives

No executive has been formed since the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election. Before that, members of the last executive were elected on 11 January 2020.

Northern Ireland Executive
Portfolio Minister Party Term
Executive Ministers
First Minister Arlene Foster DUP 2020–2021
Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill Sinn Féin 2020–2021
Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Edwin Poots DUP 2020–2022
Communities Deirdre Hargey Sinn Féin 2020–2022
Economy Diane Dodds DUP 2020–2021
Education Peter Weir DUP 2020–2021
Finance Conor Murphy Sinn Féin 2020–2022
Health Robin Swann Ulster Unionist 2020–2022
Infrastructure Nichola Mallon SDLP 2020–2022
Justice Naomi Long Alliance 2020–2022
Also attending Executive meetings
Junior Minister (assisting the First Minister) Gordon Lyons DUP 2020–2021
Junior Minister (assisting the deputy First Minister) Declan Kearney Sinn Féin 2020–2022

Changes 14 June 2021

Office Name Party Term
Economy Paul Frew DUP 2021
Education Michelle McIlveen DUP 2021–2022

Changes 17 June 2021

Office Name Party Term
First Minister Paul Givan DUP 2021–2022
Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill Sinn Féin 2021–2022
Junior Minister (assisting the First Minister) Gary Middleton DUP 2021–2022

Changes 6 July 2021

Office Name Party Term
Economy Gordon Lyons DUP 2021–2022

Changes 16 May 2022

Office Name Party Term
Infrastructure John O'Dowd Sinn Féin 2022

Ministers are assisted by backbench "Assembly private secretaries" (equivalent to parliamentary private secretaries). The non-political Attorney General for Northern Ireland is the chief legal advisor to the Executive, appointed by the First Minister and deputy First Minister, and may also attend Executive meetings.

See also

References

  1. ^ Murphy, Conor. "Budget 2020-21" (PDF). Department of Finance, Northern Ireland Executive. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Martin McGuinness resigns as NI deputy first minister". BBC News. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Stormont deal: Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill new top NI ministers". BBC News. 12 January 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  4. ^ "The Departments (2016 Act) (Commencement) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016". legislation.gov.uk.
  5. ^ Departments Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2016/5
  6. ^ Scholes, William (10 March 2007). "UUP and SDLP rule out suggestions of forming opposition" (Reprint). The Irish News. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  7. ^ "Stormont: New NI power-sharing executive formed". BBC News. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Section 20, Northern Ireland Act 1998".
  9. ^ "Northern Ireland Executive Ministerial Code".
  10. ^ "Article 4, The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999".
  11. ^ "Section 22, Northern Ireland Act 1998".
  12. ^ "Section 23, Northern Ireland Act 1998".
  13. ^ "Section 26, Northern Ireland Act 1998".
  14. ^ "Section 24, Northern Ireland Act 1998".
  15. ^ "Section 25, Northern Ireland Act 1998".
  16. ^ "Section 28B, Northern Ireland Act 1998".
  17. ^ "Section 17, Northern Ireland Act 1998".
  18. ^ "Section 19A, Northern Ireland Act 1998".
  19. ^ "Section 28D, Northern Ireland Act 1998".
  20. ^ "Section 28E, Northern Ireland Act 1998".
  21. ^ "Improving Children's Life Chances" (PDF). Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  22. ^ "Lifetime Opportunities" (PDF). Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. 13 November 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  23. ^ . Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. Archived from the original on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  24. ^ . Official Report. Northern Ireland Assembly. 1 July 1998. Archived from the original on 16 December 2010. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  25. ^ . Official Report. Northern Ireland Assembly. 29 November 1999. Archived from the original on 29 August 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  26. ^ "The Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Commencement) Order 2000". legislation.gov.uk.
  27. ^ "The Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2000". legislation.gov.uk.
  28. ^ "The Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2001". legislation.gov.uk.
  29. ^ "The Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2001". legislation.gov.uk.
  30. ^ "The Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001". legislation.gov.uk.
  31. ^ "The Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001". legislation.gov.uk.
  32. ^ "The Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2002". legislation.gov.uk.
  33. ^ "The Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2007". legislation.gov.uk.
  34. ^ Staff (14 October 2002). "Reid set to suspend Assembly". BBC News. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  35. ^ . Official Report. Northern Ireland Assembly. 8 May 2007. Archived from the original on 29 August 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  36. ^ Staff (20 November 2008). "Water charges deferred for a year". BBC News. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  37. ^ . Official Report. Northern Ireland Assembly. 12 April 2010. Archived from the original on 29 August 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  38. ^ . Official Report. Northern Ireland Assembly. 12 May 2011. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  39. ^ . Official Report. Northern Ireland Assembly. 16 May 2011. Archived from the original on 29 August 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  40. ^ "Ulster Unionist Party intends to leave NI Executive". BBC News. 26 August 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  41. ^ "NI first minister Peter Robinson steps aside in Stormont crisis". BBC. 10 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  42. ^ "DUP ministers resume Northern Ireland Executive posts". BBC. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  43. ^ "Arlene Foster: DUP leader becomes new NI first minister". BBC News. 11 January 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  44. ^ Burke, Ceimin. "Explainer: What is the Irish Language Act and why is it causing political deadlock in Northern Ireland?". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  45. ^ a b McCormack, Jayne (15 July 2019). "Northern Ireland bill - what happens next?". BBC. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  46. ^ McCormack, Jayne (18 August 2019). "Q&A: Same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland". BBC. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  47. ^ "DUP and Sinn Féin back in top jobs at Stormont". BBC News. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.

External links

  • Northern Ireland Executive
  • nidirect/tedireach portal

March 29, 2023
northern, ireland, executive, cabinet, northern, ireland, redirects, here, cabinet, devolved, government, from, 1922, 1972, executive, committee, privy, council, northern, ireland, devolved, government, northern, ireland, administrative, branch, legislature, n. Cabinet of Northern Ireland redirects here For the cabinet of the devolved government from 1922 to 1972 see Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland The Northern Ireland Executive is the devolved government of Northern Ireland an administrative branch of the legislature the Northern Ireland Assembly It is answerable to the assembly and was initially established according to the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 which followed the Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement The executive is referred to in the legislation as the Executive Committee of the assembly and is an example of consociationalist power sharing government Northern Ireland ExecutiveOverviewEstablished2 December 1999 1999 12 02 StateNorthern IrelandLeaderFirst Minister and deputy First MinisterAppointed byNorthern Ireland AssemblyMain organExecutive CommitteeAnnual budget 12 2 billion 2020 21 1 HeadquartersStormont Castle Stormont Estate BelfastWebsitenorthernireland wbr gov wbr ukThe Northern Ireland Executive consists of the First Minister and deputy First Minister and various ministers with individual portfolios and remits The main assembly parties appoint most ministers in the executive except for the Minister of Justice who is elected by a cross community vote It is one of three devolved governments in the United Kingdom the others being the Scottish and Welsh governments In January 2017 the then deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest over the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal and the Northern Ireland Executive consequently collapsed 2 The governing of Northern Ireland fell to civil servants in a caretaker capacity until January 2020 when the parties signed the New Decade New Approach agreement and an Executive was subsequently established 3 Contents 1 Legal basis 2 Ministers 3 Structure 4 Procedure 5 Strategies 6 History 6 1 1974 6 2 Composition since devolution 6 3 1998 2002 6 4 2007 2011 6 5 2011 2016 6 6 2016 2017 6 7 Northern Ireland Executive Formation Act 2019 6 8 Reformation 7 Executive committee 7 1 Changes 14 June 2021 7 2 Changes 17 June 2021 7 3 Changes 6 July 2021 7 4 Changes 16 May 2022 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksLegal basis EditThe Executive and the Assembly were established in law by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 that followed the Good Friday Agreement and its basis was revised by the Northern Ireland St Andrews Agreement Act 2006 that followed the St Andrews Agreement of that year Ministers EditOn 9 May 2016 4 the number of ministries and departments of the Northern Ireland Executive was reduced leaving the following departments 5 The Executive Office Minister of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs Minister for Communities Minister of Education Minister for the Economy Minister of Finance Minister of Health Minister for Infrastructure Minister of Justice At the same time various departments were renamed as follows The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister was renamed the Executive Office The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development was renamed the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs The Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment was renamed the Department for the Economy The Department of Finance and Personnel was renamed the Department of Finance The Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety was renamed the Department of Health The Department for Regional Development was renamed the Department for Infrastructure The Department for Social Development was renamed the Department for CommunitiesThe following departments were dissolved The Department of Culture Arts and Leisure The Department of the Environment The Department for Employment and LearningStructure EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed December 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message In contrast with Westminster system cabinets which generally need only be backed by a majority of legislators ministerial positions in the Northern Ireland Executive are allocated to parties with significant representation in the Assembly With the exception of justice the number of ministries to which each party is entitled is determined by the D Hondt system In effect major parties cannot be excluded from participation in government and power sharing is enforced by the system The form of government is therefore known as mandatory coalition as opposed to voluntary coalition where parties negotiate an agreement to share power The Democratic Unionist Party DUP the Ulster Unionist Party UUP the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and some Social Democratic and Labour Party SDLP members favour a move towards voluntary coalition in the longer term but this is currently when opposed by Sinn Fein citation needed The executive cannot function if either of the two largest parties refuse to take part as these parties are allocated the First Minister and deputy First Minister positions However other parties are not required to enter the executive even if they are entitled to do so instead they can choose to go into opposition if they wish There were some calls for the SDLP and the UUP to enter opposition after the 2007 Assembly elections 6 but ultimately the two parties chose to take the seats in the Executive to which they were entitled In 2010 an exception to the D Hondt system for allocating the number of ministerial portfolios was made under the Hillsborough Castle Agreement to allow the cross community Alliance Party of Northern Ireland to hold the politically contentious policing and justice brief when most of those powers were devolved to the Assembly Devolution took place on 12 April 2010 Under D Hondt the SDLP would have been entitled to the extra ministerial seat on the revised Executive created by the devolution of policing and justice Accordingly both the UUP and SDLP protested that Alliance was not entitled under the rules of the Good Friday Agreement to fill the portfolio and refused to support this move However Alliance leader David Ford was elected Minister with the support of the DUP and Sinn Fein On 26 August 2015 the UUP announced it would withdraw from the Executive and form an opposition after all in response to the assassination of Kevin McGuigan On 25 May 2016 a new executive was announced three weeks after assembly election For the first time in the assembly s history parties that were entitled to ministries i e UUP SDLP and Alliance chose instead to go into opposition following a recent bill providing parties with this choice This meant that the executive was formed only by the two major parties the DUP and Sinn Fein and thus giving them more seats in the Executive with the exception of the Department of Justice which was given to an Independent Unionist MLA Claire Sugden due to this appointment needing cross community support 7 Procedure Edit Stormont Castle seat of the Executive The Executive is co chaired by the First Minister and deputy First Minister Its official functions are acting as a forum for the discussion of and agreement on issues which cut across the responsibilities of two or more ministers prioritising executive and legislative proposals discussing and agreeing upon significant or controversial matters and recommending a common position where necessary e g in dealing with external relationships 8 Executive meetings are normally held fortnightly compared to weekly meetings of the British Cabinet and Irish Government Under the Executive s Ministerial Code ministers are obliged to 9 operate within the framework of the Programme for Government support all decisions of the Executive and Northern Ireland Assembly and participate fully in the Executive the North South Ministerial Council and the British Irish Council The Ministerial Code allows any three ministers to request a cross community vote The quorum for voting is seven ministers Dundonald House home to various government agencies The current system of devolution has succeeded long periods of direct rule 1974 1999 and 2002 2007 when the Northern Ireland Civil Service had a considerable influence on government policy The legislation which established new departments in 1999 affirmed that the functions of a department shall at all times be exercised subject to the direction and control of the Minister 10 Ministerial powers can be conferred by an Act of the Assembly 11 and ministers can also exercise executive powers which are vested in the Crown 12 Ministers are also subject to several limitations including the European Convention on Human Rights European Union law other international obligations of the UK 13 a requirement not to discriminate on religious or political grounds 14 and having no power over reserved and excepted matters which are held by the United Kingdom Government 15 Ministerial decisions can be challenged by a petition of 30 Northern Ireland Assembly members This action can be taken for alleged breaches of the Ministerial Code and on matters of public importance The Speaker of the Assembly must consult political party leaders in the Assembly who are often also ministers before deciding whether the subject is a matter of public importance Successful petitions will then be considered by the Executive 16 The number of ministers and their responsibilities can be changed when a department is being established or dissolved The proposal must be made by the First Minister and the deputy First Minister and be carried by a cross community vote in the Assembly The number of departments was initially limited to 10 but this increased to 11 upon the devolution of justice 17 Ministers are disqualified from holding office if appointed to the Government of Ireland or as the chairman or deputy chairman of an Oireachtas Irish Parliament committee 18 Strategies EditThe Good Friday Agreement states that the Executive will seek to agree each year and review as necessary a Programme for Government incorporating an agreed budget 8 The following programmes for government have been published to date Draft Programme for Government 2001 2002 25 October 2000 Draft Programme for Government 2002 2003 24 September 2001 Programme for Government 2008 2011 22 January 2008 Programme for Government 2011 2015 12 March 2012 The following budgets have been published to date This list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items November 2011 Budget 2008 11 Budget 2011 15Under the St Andrews Agreement the Executive is obliged to adopt strategies on the following policy matters enhancing and protecting the development of the Irish language enhancing and developing Ulster Scots language heritage and culture and tackling poverty social exclusion and patterns of deprivation based on objective need 19 20 The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister published a child poverty strategy in March 2011 21 The wider anti poverty strategy was carried over from direct rule in November 2006 22 As of November 2011 neither an Irish language strategy nor an Ulster Scots strategy had been adopted The Department of Culture Arts and Leisure states that a Strategy for Indigenous or Regional Minority Languages will be presented to the Executive in due course 23 History EditMain article List of Northern Ireland Executives 1974 Edit The original Northern Ireland Executive was established on 1 January 1974 following the Sunningdale Agreement It comprised a voluntary coalition between the Ulster Unionist Party Social Democratic and Labour Party and Alliance Party of Northern Ireland with the UUP s Brian Faulkner in the position of Chief Executive It was short lived collapsing on 28 May 1974 due to the Ulster Workers Council strike and the Troubles continued in the absence of a political settlement Composition since devolution Edit Historical composition of the Northern Ireland ExecutiveExecutive Assembly Date Event Mandatory coalition Executive Office Other departments Cross communityappointment Justice D Hondt method allocation VacantFM amp j m dFM amp j m UUP U SDLP N DUP U SF N Alli O 1st E 1st A 1 July 1998 formation UUP SDLP 10 3 3 2 2 0 014 October 2002 dissolution 10 102nd E 3rd A 8 May 2007 formation DUP SF 10 2 1 4 3 0 012 April 2010 devolution DUP SF 11 Alliance 2 1 4 3 0 011 May 2011 dissolution 11 113rd E 4th A 16 May 2011 formation DUP SF 11 Alliance 1 1 4 3 1 01 September 2015 resignation DUP SF 11 Alliance R 1 4 3 1 120 October 2015 reallocation DUP SF 11 Alliance R 1 5 3 1 016 May 2016 dissolution 11 114th E 5th A 26 May 2016 formation DUP SF 8 Ind U R R 4 3 0 016 January 2017 dissolution 8 85th E 6th A 7th A 11 Jan 2020 formation DUP SF 8 Alliance 1 1 3 2 0 016 May 2022 reallocation Vacant 1 R 3 3 0 0FM dFM First and deputy First Minister j m junior minister R resigned or refused posts entitled to under the D Hondt method 1998 2002 Edit The current Executive was provided for in the Belfast Agreement signed on 10 April 1998 Designates for First Minister and deputy First Minister were appointed on 1 July 1998 by the UUP and SDLP respectively 24 A full Executive was nominated on 29 November 1999 and took office on 2 December 1999 comprising the UUP SDLP Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein 25 Devolution was suspended for four periods during which the departments came under the responsibility of direct rule ministers from the Northern Ireland Office between 12 February 2000 26 and 30 May 2000 27 on 11 August 2001 28 29 on 22 September 2001 30 31 between 15 October 2002 32 and 8 May 2007 33 The 2002 2007 suspension followed the refusal of the Ulster Unionist Party to share power with Sinn Fein after a high profile Police Service of Northern Ireland investigation into an alleged Provisional Irish Republican Army spy ring 34 2007 2011 Edit The second Executive formed in 2007 was led by the DUP and Sinn Fein with the UUP and SDLP also securing ministerial roles 35 However the Executive did not meet between 19 June 2008 and 20 November 2008 due to a boycott by Sinn Fein This took place during a dispute between the DUP and Sinn Fein over the devolution of policing and justice powers 36 Policing and justice powers were devolved on 12 April 2010 with the new Minister of Justice won by Alliance in a cross community vote 37 2011 2016 Edit Following the Northern Ireland Assembly election held on 5 May 2011 a third Executive was formed on 16 May 2011 with the same five parties represented Alliance for the first time gained administration of a department under the D Hondt system in addition to the Department of Justice Peter Robinson of the DUP and Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein were nominated by their parties and appointed as First Minister and deputy First Minister on 12 May 2011 Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister opposed the joint appointment 38 On 16 May 2011 10 other Executive ministers with the exception of the Minister of Justice and two junior ministers were appointed by their political parties The Minister of Justice was then elected by the Assembly via a cross community vote 39 On 26 August 2015 the UUP withdrew from the Executive in protest over the alleged involvement of members of the Provisional IRA in the murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr 40 Danny Kennedy MLA s position as Minister for Regional Development was later taken over by the DUP thereby leaving four Northern Irish parties in the power sharing agreement On 10 September 2015 Peter Robinson stepped down as First Minister although he did not officially resign Arlene Foster took over as acting First Minister 41 Robinson subsequently resumed his duties as First Minister again on 20 October 2015 42 Following the signing of the Fresh Start Agreement Peter Robinson announced his intention to stand down as leader of the DUP and First Minister of Northern Ireland He subsequently resigned as DUP leader on 18 December 2015 being succeeded by Arlene Foster Foster then took office as First Minister on 11 January 2016 43 2016 2017 Edit The fourth Executive was formed following the May 2016 election The SDLP UUP and Alliance Party left the Executive and formed the Official Opposition for the first time Ministerial positions were proportionally allocated between the DUP and Sinn Fein with independent unionist Claire Sugden serving as Minister of Justice The government collapsed on 16 January 2017 after Martin McGuinness resigned in protest over the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal His resignation sparked a snap election as Sinn Fein refused to re nominate a deputy First Minister In 2018 Arlene Foster stated that the ongoing political deadlock was caused by Sinn Fein s insistence on an Irish Language Act that would grant legal status to the Irish language in Northern Ireland which Foster s party refuses to allow 44 Northern Ireland Executive Formation Act 2019 Edit Main article Northern Ireland Executive Formation etc Act 2019 The Northern Ireland Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions Act 2019 was passed by the UK parliament on 10 July 2019 45 and became law on 24 July 46 The main purpose of the bill was to prevent another election and keep Northern Ireland services running in the absence of a functional devolved government However two Labour MPs Conor McGinn and Stella Creasy added amendments that would legalize same sex marriage and liberalize abortion law both devolved issues if the DUP and Sinn Fein could not come to an agreement before 21 October 45 Reformation Edit On 11 January 2020 the Executive was re formed with Arlene Foster as First Minister and Sinn Fein s Michelle O Neill as deputy First Minister following the New Decade New Approach agreement All five parties joined the government other ministers include Edwin Poots DUP Robin Swann UUP Nichola Mallon SDLP Gordon Lyons DUP and Declan Kearney SF Alliance Party leader Naomi Long was appointed justice minister At the first session of the assembly Foster stated that it was time for Stormont to move forward The new speaker of the assembly is a member of Sinn Fein 47 The collapse of this executive led to the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election Executive committee EditMain article List of Northern Ireland Executives No executive has been formed since the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election Before that members of the last executive were elected on 11 January 2020 Northern Ireland Executive Portfolio Minister Party TermExecutive MinistersFirst Minister Arlene Foster DUP 2020 2021Deputy First Minister Michelle O Neill Sinn Fein 2020 2021Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs Edwin Poots DUP 2020 2022Communities Deirdre Hargey Sinn Fein 2020 2022Economy Diane Dodds DUP 2020 2021Education Peter Weir DUP 2020 2021Finance Conor Murphy Sinn Fein 2020 2022Health Robin Swann Ulster Unionist 2020 2022Infrastructure Nichola Mallon SDLP 2020 2022Justice Naomi Long Alliance 2020 2022Also attending Executive meetingsJunior Minister assisting the First Minister Gordon Lyons DUP 2020 2021Junior Minister assisting the deputy First Minister Declan Kearney Sinn Fein 2020 2022Changes 14 June 2021 EditOffice Name Party TermEconomy Paul Frew DUP 2021Education Michelle McIlveen DUP 2021 2022Changes 17 June 2021 EditOffice Name Party TermFirst Minister Paul Givan DUP 2021 2022Deputy First Minister Michelle O Neill Sinn Fein 2021 2022Junior Minister assisting the First Minister Gary Middleton DUP 2021 2022Changes 6 July 2021 EditOffice Name Party TermEconomy Gordon Lyons DUP 2021 2022Changes 16 May 2022 EditOffice Name Party TermInfrastructure John O Dowd Sinn Fein 2022Ministers are assisted by backbench Assembly private secretaries equivalent to parliamentary private secretaries The non political Attorney General for Northern Ireland is the chief legal advisor to the Executive appointed by the First Minister and deputy First Minister and may also attend Executive meetings See also Edit Politics portal United Kingdom portal Northern Ireland portalDevolution in the United Kingdom Government spending in the United Kingdom Northern Ireland peace processReferences Edit Murphy Conor Budget 2020 21 PDF Department of Finance Northern Ireland Executive Retrieved 10 July 2020 Martin McGuinness resigns as NI deputy first minister BBC News 10 January 2017 Retrieved 7 November 2020 Stormont deal Arlene Foster and Michelle O Neill new top NI ministers BBC News 12 January 2020 Retrieved 7 November 2020 The Departments 2016 Act Commencement Order Northern Ireland 2016 legislation gov uk Departments Act Northern Ireland 2016 http www legislation gov uk nia 2016 5 Scholes William 10 March 2007 UUP and SDLP rule out suggestions of forming opposition Reprint The Irish News Retrieved 3 April 2007 Stormont New NI power sharing executive formed BBC News 25 May 2016 Retrieved 25 May 2016 a b Section 20 Northern Ireland Act 1998 Northern Ireland Executive Ministerial Code Article 4 The Departments Northern Ireland Order 1999 Section 22 Northern Ireland Act 1998 Section 23 Northern Ireland Act 1998 Section 26 Northern Ireland Act 1998 Section 24 Northern Ireland Act 1998 Section 25 Northern Ireland Act 1998 Section 28B Northern Ireland Act 1998 Section 17 Northern Ireland Act 1998 Section 19A Northern Ireland Act 1998 Section 28D Northern Ireland Act 1998 Section 28E Northern Ireland Act 1998 Improving Children s Life Chances PDF Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister 22 March 2011 Retrieved 11 November 2011 Lifetime Opportunities PDF Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister 13 November 2006 Retrieved 11 November 2011 Language Cultural Diversity Department of Culture Arts and Leisure Archived from the original on 25 October 2011 Retrieved 11 November 2011 First Minister Designate and Deputy Official Report Northern Ireland Assembly 1 July 1998 Archived from the original on 16 December 2010 Retrieved 25 October 2011 Nomination of Ministers Designate Official Report Northern Ireland Assembly 29 November 1999 Archived from the original on 29 August 2011 Retrieved 25 October 2011 The Northern Ireland Act 2000 Commencement Order 2000 legislation gov uk The Northern Ireland Act 2000 Restoration of Devolved Government Order 2000 legislation gov uk The Northern Ireland Act 2000 Suspension of Devolved Government Order 2001 legislation gov uk The Northern Ireland Act 2000 Restoration of Devolved Government Order 2001 legislation gov uk The Northern Ireland Act 2000 Suspension of Devolved Government No 2 Order 2001 legislation gov uk The Northern Ireland Act 2000 Restoration of Devolved Government No 2 Order 2001 legislation gov uk The Northern Ireland Act 2000 Suspension of Devolved Government Order 2002 legislation gov uk The Northern Ireland Act 2000 Restoration of Devolved Government Order 2007 legislation gov uk Staff 14 October 2002 Reid set to suspend Assembly BBC News Retrieved 27 July 2012 Affirmation of the Terms of the Pledge of Office First Minister Designate and Deputy First Minister Designate Appointment of Ministers amp Appointment of Junior Ministers Official Report Northern Ireland Assembly 8 May 2007 Archived from the original on 29 August 2011 Retrieved 25 October 2011 Staff 20 November 2008 Water charges deferred for a year BBC News Retrieved 28 July 2012 Assembly Business Minister of Justice Official Report Northern Ireland Assembly 12 April 2010 Archived from the original on 29 August 2011 Retrieved 25 October 2011 First Minister and deputy First Minister Appointment and Pledge of Office Official Report Northern Ireland Assembly 12 May 2011 Archived from the original on 13 June 2011 Retrieved 31 October 2011 Appointment of Ministers Appointment of Junior Ministers amp Minister of Justice Official Report Northern Ireland Assembly 16 May 2011 Archived from the original on 29 August 2011 Retrieved 31 October 2011 Ulster Unionist Party intends to leave NI Executive BBC News 26 August 2015 Retrieved 19 September 2016 NI first minister Peter Robinson steps aside in Stormont crisis BBC 10 September 2015 Retrieved 10 September 2015 DUP ministers resume Northern Ireland Executive posts BBC 20 October 2015 Retrieved 20 October 2015 Arlene Foster DUP leader becomes new NI first minister BBC News 11 January 2016 Retrieved 19 September 2016 Burke Ceimin Explainer What is the Irish Language Act and why is it causing political deadlock in Northern Ireland TheJournal ie Retrieved 20 September 2019 a b McCormack Jayne 15 July 2019 Northern Ireland bill what happens next BBC Retrieved 23 September 2019 McCormack Jayne 18 August 2019 Q amp A Same sex marriage in Northern Ireland BBC Retrieved 23 September 2019 DUP and Sinn Fein back in top jobs at Stormont BBC News 11 January 2020 Retrieved 12 January 2020 External links EditNorthern Ireland Executive nidirect tedireach portal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Northern Ireland Executive amp oldid 1135714499, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.