Devolved Government — The Executive

Abstract

This chapter concentrates on the nature and operation of the devolved executive government. Executive government was established by the Northern Ireland Act 1998, following the 1998 Agreement, and was amended by the St Andrews Agreement in 2006 and the Hillsborough Agreement in 2010. The chapter begins by setting out the core functions and devolved responsibilities of the Executive. We then explain the nature, appointment and composition of the Executive, based on a principle of power-sharing or consociational arrangements. The absence of the principle of collective responsibility is explained and the alternative principle governing decision-making noted. The configuration of ministerial office in the Executive is described and the changes since 1999 are reported. Decision making in the Executive with its system of vetoes is explained and the limited committee system examined. Ministerial responsibility exists and the adoption of the Westminster principle of the ministerial department in practice has given individual ministers a significant degree of decision-making power over matters that do not require legislation or total Executive approval. The structure of government departments is noted as operating on the Whitehall model, but with a separate and independent Northern Ireland Civil Service. Several changes in the configuration of departments are set out, as well as proposals on reducing the number of departments.