The Cabinet of Ministers of Northern Ireland [1] is the executive body of the Assembly of Northern Ireland , the highest regional legislature. The Cabinet of Ministers is accountable to the Assembly and established under the Northern Ireland Act 1998 . In legislative acts, the cabinet is referred to as the Executive Committee of the Assembly. The cabinet is an example of a consocial government .
The cabinet is headed by the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister ( dual power ). It also includes several ministers. Members of the cabinet are elected by the Assembly. The Cabinet of Ministers of Northern Ireland is one of the three regional governments of Great Britain along with the Scottish Government and the Government of the Assembly of Wales .
Content
Ministers
- First Minister of Northern Ireland and Deputy
- Junior Ministers
- Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
- Minister of Culture, Arts and Entertainment
- Minister of education
- Minister of Employment and Education
- Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment
- Minister of the Environment
- Minister of Finance and Personnel
- Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Security
- Minister of Regional Development
- Minister of Social Development
Structure
In contrast to the Westminster governance system , which is supported by a majority of legislators for its functioning, ministerial positions in the Cabinet of Ministers of Northern Ireland are assigned to each of the parties with a significant representation in the Assembly. The number of ministers from each party is determined by the D'Ont method . As a result, the main parties cannot remain without a minister; the separation of powers is guaranteed by the system. The cabinet will not be able to work if either of the two parties with the largest number of seats in the Assembly refuses to enter the government, since they reserve the post of First Minister and Deputy First Minister. Other parties do not have to participate in the formation of the government; instead, they can go into opposition. After the 2007 elections, there were calls for the Social Democratic and Labor Party and the Ulster Unionist Party to do just that. [2] but, in the end, both parties took part in the formation of the government.
History
After every election since the creation of the Assembly in 1998, the Cabinet of Ministers (or a possible Cabinet of Ministers) consisted of representatives of the four largest Northern Irish parties: the Democratic Union Party , Sinn Fein , the Social Democratic and Labor Party and the Ulster Union Party, although the number of ministers from each party changed. For the first time, the Cabinet of Ministers of Northern Ireland received powers on December 2, 1999, but its activities were repeatedly suspended. The last time the government’s work was interrupted was from October 15, 2002 to May 8, 2007, when the Ulster Unionist Party, which received the post of First Minister, resigned from it in connection with the investigation of the Northern Ireland police espionage activities of the IRA . As a result, no one was found guilty. In the absence of the government, his functions were performed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland .
Executive Committee
Since midnight on May 7, 2007, the administration of Northern Ireland has passed from the Department of Northern Ireland to the Cabinet of Ministers of the current Assembly. [3] Ministers were appointed by the Assembly on 8 May. [four]
| The Department | The Minister | The consignment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First minister | Peter Robinson | DUP | |
| Deputy First Minister | Martin McGuinness [5] | Bf | |
| Department of Industry, Trade and Investment | Arlene Foster | DUP | |
| Department of Finance and Human Resources | Sammy Wilson | DUP | |
| Department of Regional Development | Conor Murphy [6] | Bf | |
| Department of Education | Kaitrion Ruine [6] | Bf | |
| Department of Employment and Education | Reg Empy | UYUP | |
| Department of the Environment | Edwin Poots | DUP | |
| Department of Culture, Arts and Entertainment | Nelson Mac Cosland | DUP | |
| Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety | Michael McGimpsy | UYUP | |
| Department of Agriculture and Rural Development | Michelle Gildernew [6] | Bf | |
| Department of Social Development | Margaret Ritchie [6] | SDLP |
Two junior ministers from the administration of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister are also present at cabinet meetings. The positions of junior ministers are reserved for the parties of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister.
| Administration of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister | The Minister | The consignment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Minister | Robin Newton | DUP | |
| Junior Minister | Jerry Kelly | Bf |
See also
- UK budget
- Northern Ireland Cabinet List
- First Minister and Deputy First Minister
Notes
- ↑ Northern Ireland // Encyclopedia " Around the World ."
- ↑ Scholes, William . UUP and SDLP rule out suggestions of forming opposition (Reprint), The Irish News (March 10, 2007). Date of treatment April 3, 2007.
- ↑ New assembly cabinet takes shape , BBC News Online , BBC (April 2, 2007). Date of treatment April 3, 2007.
- ↑ Northern Ireland Assembly Official Records Archived August 29, 2011 on Wayback Machine
- ↑ DUP and Sinn Féin in joint letter , BBC News Online , BBC (April 1, 2007). Date of treatment April 3, 2007.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Sinn Féin reveals ministerial jobs , BBC News Online , BBC (April 4, 2007). Date of treatment April 4, 2007.