List of Northern Ireland Executives facts for kids
The Northern Ireland Executive is like the main team that runs things in Northern Ireland. It's made up of politicians from different parties who work together to make decisions and manage public services. This list shows you all the different teams, or "Executives," that have been in charge since 1998.
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What is the Northern Ireland Executive?
The Northern Ireland Executive is the government of Northern Ireland. It's led by a First Minister and a Deputy First Minister. These two leaders work together, and they must agree on important decisions. They are supported by other ministers who are in charge of different departments, like health or education.
How the Executive is Formed
After people in Northern Ireland vote in an election for the Northern Ireland Assembly, the political parties try to form a government. The biggest parties usually choose the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. Other parties then get to choose ministers for different jobs, depending on how many votes they received.
The First Executive (1998–2002)
This was the first government team formed after the 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election. It was a big step for Northern Ireland, as it brought together politicians from different backgrounds to work for everyone.
- Term: 1998–2002
- First Minister: David Trimble (from the UUP)
- Deputy First Minister: Seamus Mallon (from the SDLP), followed by Mark Durkan (also from the SDLP)
- Main Parties:
The Second Assembly (2003–2007)
After the 2003 election, the government was not fully formed for a while. This period is often called "suspended" because the politicians couldn't agree on how to work together. This meant that many decisions had to be made by the UK government instead.
- Term: 2003–2007
- Executive: Suspended
- Leaders: No First Minister or Deputy First Minister were in place during this time.
- Parties: No parties were officially in government.
The Second Executive (2007–2011)
This Executive was formed after the 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election. It marked an important time when major parties agreed to work together again.
- Term: 2007–2011
- First Minister: Ian Paisley (from the DUP), followed by Peter Robinson (also from the DUP)
- Deputy First Minister: Martin McGuinness (from SF)
- Main Parties:
The Third Executive (2011–2016)
This government continued the work of the previous one, following the 2011 Northern Ireland Assembly election. It saw some changes in leadership during its term.
- Term: 2011–2016
- First Minister: Peter Robinson (from the DUP), followed by Arlene Foster (also from the DUP)
- Deputy First Minister: Martin McGuinness (from SF)
- Main Parties:
The Fourth Executive (2016–2017)
This Executive was formed after the 2016 Northern Ireland Assembly election. However, it didn't last very long due to disagreements between the parties, leading to another suspension of the government.
- Term: 2016–2017
- First Minister: Arlene Foster (from the DUP)
- Deputy First Minister: Martin McGuinness (from SF)
- Main Parties:
The Fifth Executive (2020–2022)
After a period without a fully functioning government, this Executive was formed in 2020 under a new agreement called New Decade, New Approach. It aimed to get the government working again for the people of Northern Ireland.
- Term: 2020–2022
- First Minister: Arlene Foster (from the DUP), followed by Paul Givan (also from the DUP)
- Deputy First Minister: Michelle O'Neill (from SF)
- Main Parties:
The Sixth Executive (2024–Present)
This is the most recent Executive, formed in 2024 after another period of suspension. It shows the ongoing effort of parties to work together and govern Northern Ireland.
- Term: 2024–present
- First Minister: Michelle O'Neill (from SF)
- Deputy First Minister: Emma Little-Pengelly (from the DUP)
- Main Parties:
See also
- List of British ministries
- List of Scottish Governments
- List of Welsh Governments
