The Northern Ireland Executive

The Northern Ireland Executive

Role and Function

  • The Northern Ireland Executive is a devolved government, given powers and functions taken from the UK government to make decisions and laws on certain issues in Northern Ireland.
  • It is responsible for most areas of public policy, like education, health, and agriculture, but not all; areas like defence and foreign policy are still controlled at a UK level.
  • The Executive is led by the First Minister and deputy First Minister, who have equal powers and make decisions jointly.

Composition and Formation

  • The Executive is made up of a number of ministers, who each lead a different government department, such as the Department of Education or Department of Health.
  • These ministers are appointed using the d’Hondt method, a mathematical formula designed to ensure fair representation of the different political parties.
  • The number of ministries a party is given is proportional to the number of seats they have in the Northern Ireland Assembly, the elected body that scrutinises the Executive.

Power-Sharing

  • The principle of power-sharing is central to the operation of the Northern Ireland Executive.
  • This means that power is shared between the political parties, rather than controlled by a single party majority.
  • It was established to ensure that both nationalist and unionist communities have a say in how Northern Ireland is governed.

Accountability

  • The Northern Ireland Executive is accountable to the Northern Ireland Assembly, which approves its budget and can pass motions of no confidence.
  • Ministers are expected to operate in a way that commands cross-community support, working to achieve agreement rather than simply impose decisions.
  • The actions and decisions of the Executive are scrutinised by Assembly Committees, helping to ensure transparency.

Challenges and Crises

  • The Northern Ireland Executive has faced various challenges and crises, such as the suspension between 2002 and 2007, when the UK government had to assume direct control.
  • The structure of the Executive can lead to difficulties in decision-making and inefficiency due to the need to find cross-community support.
  • Ongoing issues such as disputes over identity and sovereignty can also impact its stability.