Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister

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The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) (Irish: Oifig an Chéad-Aire agus an leasChéad-Aire, Ulster Scots: Offis o tha Heid Männystèr an tha Heid Männystèr depute) is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive with overall responsibility for the running of the Executive. The Ministers with overall responsibility for the department are the First Minister and deputy First Minister.

The department was originally known as the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, with the same capitalisation used in the department's logo. Following a change in policy in 2007 (see First Minister and deputy First Minister), the word "deputy" is now spelt with a lower-case d, but the older version of the name is retained in the logo.

Ministers

The incumbent First Minister and deputy First Minister are Arlene Foster (Democratic Unionist Party) and Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin) respectively. They are assisted by two junior ministers: Jonathan Bell (DUP) and Jennifer McCann (Sinn Féin).^[3]

Responsibilities

OFMDFM’s overall aim is to “deliver a peaceful, fair, equal and prosperous society". Its key stated objectives include: "driving investment and sustainable development"; "Tackling disadvantage and promoting equality of opportunity"; and the "effective operation of the institutions of government".^[4]

The office has the following main responsibilities:^[5]

• administrative support for the Northern Ireland Executive (co-chaired by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister)
• children and young people
• equality of opportunity and good relations
• emergency planning
• infrastructure investment
• international relations
• liaison with the Northern Ireland Assembly, North/South Ministerial Council, British-Irish Council, Civic Forum for Northern Ireland (suspended) and UK Government departments
• poverty and social exclusion
• sustainable development
• victims and survivors (of the Troubles)

OFMDFM's main counterparts in the United Kingdom Government are:

• the Northern Ireland Office (oversees the devolution settlement);^[6]
• the Cabinet Office (on the machinery of government and honours);^[7][8]
• the Department for Communities and Local Government (on community relations and emergency planning);^[9][10]
• the Government Equalities Office;^[11]
• the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (on sustainable development);^[12]
• the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (on international relations).^[13]

Its main counterparts in the Irish Government are:

• the Department of the Taoiseach (on the machinery of government);^[14]
• the Department of Foreign Affairs (on the peace process and international relations);^[15]
• the Department of Justice and Equality;^[16]
• the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (on sustainable development and emergency planning).^[17][18]

History

A Prime Minister of Northern Ireland was appointed on its formation in June 1921, supported by the Department of the Prime Minister,^[19] but the office was abolished in March 1972, on suspension of the Parliament of Northern Ireland and introduction of direct rule.

The Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972 transferred the powers of the Prime Minister to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland within the British Government. A Chief Executive of Northern Ireland briefly held office in the 1974 Northern Ireland Executive. The Secretary of State was supported by the Northern Ireland Office, which was responsible for security and political affairs during the Troubles.

Following a referendum on the Belfast Agreement on 23 May 1998 and the granting of royal assent to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on 19 November 1998, a Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive were established by the United Kingdom Government under Prime Minister Tony Blair. The process was known as devolution and was set up to return devolved legislative powers to Northern Ireland. OFMDFM was one of five new devolved Northern Ireland departments created in December 1999 by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.

The First Minister and Deputy First Minister first took office on 2 December 1999. Devolution was suspended for four periods, during which the department came under the responsibility of direct rule ministers from the Northern Ireland Office:

• between 12 February 2000^[20] and 30 May 2000;^[21]
• on 11 August 2001;^[22][23]
• on 22 September 2001;^[24][25]
• between 15 October 2002^[26] and 8 May 2007.^[27]

Since 8 May 2007, devolution has operated without interruption.

See also

• Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister
• Northern Ireland Bureau
• Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels
• Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland

References

External links

• OFMDFM
• NIDirect