Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and is located in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Northern Ireland shares a land border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland.
Government & Parliament:
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive. It sits in Parliament Buildings at Stormont, Belfast.
Northern Ireland Executive:
The Northern Ireland Executive is made up of the First Minister, the deputy First Minister and ten other Ministers and exercises authority on behalf of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The First Minister and deputy First Minister are nominated respectively by the largest party of the largest political designation in the Assembly and the largest party of the second largest political designation and act as Joint Chairs of the Executive. Ministers of the Executive are nominated to specific portfolios by the political parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly. The number of Ministers a party can nominate is determined by its share of seats in the Assembly.
The Executive is responsible for drawing up a Programme for Government and an agreed budget for approval by the Assembly. It takes decisions on significant issues, including matters which cut across the responsibility of two or more Ministers. It also agrees proposals put forward by Ministers for new legislation.
BIC Work Sector lead:
Transport;
Collaborative Spatial Planning; and
Housing.
Key Data:
Land Area:13,840 km ² (5,345 miles²)
Population: 1.811m (at 2011 census)
Capital: Belfast
English is the most commonly used language in Northern Ireland.
Contact:
