New structures for Government in the North

1
New structures for Government in the North
2
The background to the new structures

• The peace process a long and tortuous path
• The surrender process Unionist opposition
• The Good Friday Agreement
• An agreement with an all-Ireland mandate

3
(No Transcript)
4
The Northern Executive 1

• Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First
  Minister
• Jointly elected into office on the basis of
  parallel consent
• Executive Committee 10 Ministers selected under
  the DHondt system

5
The Northern Executive 2

• Ten Departments, among them
• Agriculture and Rural Development
• Environment
• Regional Development
• Finance and Personnel
• Culture, Arts and Leisure
• Education
• Higher and Further Education

6
Consociationalism in the Northern Ireland Assembly

• Assembly members (MLAs) designate themselves as
  nationalist, unionist or other
• Key decisions are made on a cross-community basis
• Parallel consent a majority of MLAs and a
  majority of both unionist and nationalist MLAs
• Weighted majority 60 of MLAs, including at
  least 40 of both unionist and nationalist MLAs
• Most decisions made by simple majority vote

7
Committees

• Committees scrutinise departments and can
  initiate legislation
• Chairs and deputy chairs of the committees are
  allocated proportionately, using the DHondt
  system
• Committee membership to be proportional to party
  strength in the assembly

8
(No Transcript)
9
All-Ireland Implementation Bodies

• Inland Waterways
• Food Safety
• Trade and Business Development
• Special EU Programmes
• Language (Irish and Ulster Scots)
• Aquaculture and Marine Matters

10
Areas of North South Co-operation

• Transport
• Agriculture
• Education
• Health
• Environment
• Tourism

11
North South Ministerial Council 1

• Meets in plenary format twice a year, bringing
  together all members of both governments
• Individual ministers meet one-to-one on a regular
  basis and can propose any matter for
  consideration
• Ministers from the Irish Government and the
  Northern Ireland Executive must participate
• Based in Armagh

12
North South Ministerial Council 2

• The Council
• to use best endeavours to reach agreement on the
  adoption of common policies, in areas where there
  is a mutual cross-border and all-island benefit
  making determined efforts to overcome any
  disagreements

13
British-Irish Council

• Representatives of the following governments and
  administrations
• British
• Irish
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• Wales
• Isle of man
• Channel isles
• Summit meeting twice a year
• Ministers meet regularly

14
Civic Forum

• 60 members and a chairperson
• Balanced by gender, age, community, area
• Representatives from various sectors including
  business, voluntary and community, trade union,
  church, arts, sports, victims

15
A Historic Compromise ?

• Republicans and Nationalists accept
• ? British sovereignty, and the principle of
  consent
• ? Devolved Government
• ? Decommissioning
• ? Unionism as a legitimate stance

16

• Unionists and Loyalists accept
• Cross-border bodies
• Power-sharing, with Republicans in government
• Prisoner releases
• Reform of the police