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List of Northern Ireland ministers, government departments and executive agencies facts for kids

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A list of Northern Ireland government departments, their agencies and their ministers and related organisations. The devolved government of Northern Ireland (the Northern Ireland Executive) is responsible for most public services in the region but some services are also provided by the United Kingdom Government and cross-border bodies under the North/South Ministerial Council. Public bodies take several forms with some reporting directly to their department (agencies) and others operating having more independence as they advise government (non-departmental public bodies).

Below the regional tier of public bodies, public services are also provided by 11 local authorities, one educational authority and five health and social care trusts. Others are accountable directly to the Northern Ireland Assembly or to external organisations, like the European Union.

Ministers

Northern Ireland Executive

United Kingdom Government

Law officers

  • Attorney General for Northern Ireland (advisor to the Northern Ireland Executive)
  • Advocate General for Northern Ireland (advisor to the United Kingdom Government, also Attorney General for England and Wales)

Northern Ireland Executive agencies

Local and sub-regional government

Local authorities

  • Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council
  • Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon District Council
  • Belfast City Council
  • Causeway Coast and Glens District Council
  • Derry and Strabane District Council
  • Fermanagh and Omagh District Council
  • Lisburn and Castlereagh District Council
  • Mid and East Antrim District Council
  • Mid-Ulster District Council
  • Newry, Mourne and Down District Council
  • North Down and Ards District Council

UK Government

The following departments of the United Kingdom government and UK-wide public bodies operate in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Office (NIO)

The NIO is the UK department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs and is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, who represents Northern Ireland interests at Cabinet level. It is responsible for the following public bodies:

  • Electoral Office for Northern Ireland
  • Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
  • Parades Commission

Executive agencies (by department)

  • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (as of 14 July 2016)
    • Companies House
  • Home Office:
    • HM Passport Office
    • UK Visas and Immigration
  • Department for Transport:
    • Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Non-departmental public bodies (outside NIO, by department)

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
  • Ministry of Justice:
    • Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland
    • Information Commissioner's Office

Non-ministerial departments (answerable to Parliament)

Other regulators

Defence and security services

Public bodies operating from Great Britain

Several public bodies have a UK-wide remit for reserved and excepted matters in Northern Ireland but operate from Great Britain.

  • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
    • Competition Commission
    • Intellectual Property Office
    • Met Office
    • Research Councils UK
    • United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport:
    • National Lottery Commission
    • Olympic Delivery Authority
  • Ministry of Defence:
    • United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
  • Department of Energy and Climate Change:
    • Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
    • Rural Payments Agency
    • Sea Fish Industry Authority
  • Department of Health:
    • Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
    • Human Genetics Commission
    • Human Tissue Authority
  • Ministry of Justice
    • Information Tribunal
  • Department for Transport:
    • Air Accidents Investigation Branch
    • Civil Aviation Authority
    • Marine Accident Investigation Branch
    • Rail Accident Investigation Branch
  • HM Treasury:
  • Non-ministerial departments:
    • Central Office of Information
    • Crown Estate
    • Office of Fair Trading
    • Serious Fraud Office

North/South Ministerial Council

The North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) consists of Northern Ireland Executive and Irish Government ministers, and is designed to encourage co-operation between the two jurisdictions on Ireland. The similar British-Irish Council, which consists of ministers from all countries of the British Isles (also known as Britain and Ireland), has no related public bodies.

NSMC cross-border bodies:

  • Food Safety Promotion Board
  • Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission
    • Loughs Agency
    • Lights Agency (proposed)
  • Institute of Public Health in Ireland
  • InterTradeIreland
  • North/South Language Body
    • Foras na Gaeilge
    • Tha Boord o Ulstèr-Scotch (Ulster-Scots Agency)
  • Special European Union Programmes Body (SEUPB)
  • Tourism Ireland
  • Waterways Ireland

External organisations

Other public bodies

  • Civic Forum for Northern Ireland (suspended)
  • Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland
  • Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO)
  • Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation
  • Northern Ireland Ombudsman

See also

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List of Northern Ireland ministers, government departments and executive agencies Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.