Your Executive

The NI Executive is made up of the First Minister, deputy First Minister, and eight departmental Ministers.

Northern Ireland Executive Ministers

Pictured (l-r) are: deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Head of Northern Ireland Civil Service Jayne Brady, Attorney General for Northern Ireland Dame Brenda King, Junior Minister Aisling Reilly, Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald, Economy Minister Conor Murphy,  Infrastructure Minister, John O'Dowd, Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir, Justice Minister Naomi Long, Health Minister Robin Swann, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, Education Minister Paul Givan, Junior Minister Pam Cameron and Executive Secretariat Neill Jackson.

First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly
First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee exercises executive authority on behalf of the Northern Ireland Assembly, and takes decisions on significant issues and matters which cut across the responsibility of two or more Ministers. It also agrees proposals put forward by Ministers for new legislation in the form of ‘Executive Bills’ for consideration by the Assembly. It is also responsible for drawing up a programme for government and an agreed budget for approval by the Assembly.

Appointed by the Assembly

The First Minister and deputy First Minister are nominated respectively by the largest parties of the largest and second largest political designations in the Assembly. Ministers of the Executive, with the exception of the Minister of Justice, are nominated by the political parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly. The number of Ministers which a party can nominate is determined by its share of seats in the Assembly.

The Minister of Justice is appointed through a nomination made by the First and deputy First Minister acting jointly and approved by a cross-community resolution of the Assembly. The First Minister and deputy First Minister acting jointly and each Minister has responsibility for a specific Northern Ireland government department.

Ministerial Code

The Ministerial Code sets out the rules and procedures to which all ministers must adhere. It includes the Pledge of Office, the Ministerial Code of Conduct, and the Seven Principles of Public Life, as well as provisions governing the functioning of the Executive Committee.

More useful links

Subtopics

Government departments

Northern Ireland Executive departments

Ministerial Code

The Ministerial Code sets out the rules and procedures for the exercise of the duties and responsibilities of Ministers and junior Ministers of the Northern Ireland Assembly as specified in the Belfast Agreement, the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the St Andrews Agreement and the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006.


Related to Your Executive

Most recent publications

Back to top