Department for the Economy

Last updated

Department for the Economy
Department for Economy NI Logo.svg
Department overview
FormedJune 1921 (as Ministry of Commerce)
Preceding Department
Jurisdiction Northern Ireland
HeadquartersAdelaide House, 39–49 Adelaide Street, Belfast, BT2 8FD
Employees582 (September 2011) [1]
Annual budget£207.1 million (current) & £68.7 million (capital) for 2011–12 [2]
Minister responsible
Department executive
  • Ian Snowden [3] , Permanent Secretary
Website www.economy-ni.gov.uk

The Department for the Economy (DfE, Irish : An Roinn Geilleagair [4] ) is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for the Economy.

Contents

DfE was renamed in 2016; it was previously called the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

Aim

DfE's overall aim is to "promote the development of a globally competitive economy." Its stated objective is to "encourage the development of a high value added, innovative, enterprising and competitive economy, leading to greater wealth creation and job opportunities for all." [5]

Responsibilities

The department is responsible for the following policy areas: [6]

Some economic matters are reserved to Westminster and are therefore not devolved: [8]

In addition, some matters are excepted and were not intended for devolution: [9]

DfE's main counterparts in the United Kingdom Government are:

In the Irish Government, its main counterparts are:

Agencies

DfE has four agencies, established as non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), to assist in strategy implementation:

History

A Ministry of Commerce was established at the foundation of Northern Ireland in June 1921, and was subsequently known as the Department of Commerce and Department of Economic Development under direct rule (introduced in March 1972). An economic ministry was also included in the Northern Ireland Executive briefly established in 1974.

The Department of Economic Development also incorporated elements of training and employment policy, now held by the Department for Employment and Learning.

Following a referendum on the Belfast Agreement on 23 May 1998 and the granting of royal assent to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on 19 November 1998, a Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive were established by the United Kingdom Government under Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Department of Economic Development was renamed as the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and granted a reduced remit. DETI was therefore one of the six direct rule Northern Ireland departments that continued in existence after devolution in December 1999, following the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.

A devolved minister took office on 2 December 1999. Devolution was suspended for four periods, during which the department came under the responsibility of direct rule ministers from the Northern Ireland Office:

Since 8 May 2007, devolution has operated without interruption. The Independent Review of Economic Policy, which reported in September 2009, recommended a single economic policy department within the Northern Ireland Executive, which would merge DETI and at least part of the Department for Employment and Learning. [21]

On 11 January 2012, the First Minister and deputy First Minister, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness announced their intentions to abolish the Department for Employment and Learning. [22] The department's functions would be "divided principally" between the Department of Education and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment "in an agreed manner". The proposal was resisted by the Alliance Party, [23] which viewed it as "power grab" by the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, but was approved on 18 January 2012. [24] No timescale for the abolition was outlined and the department remained in operation, as of late March 2012.

DETI was heavily criticised by the Northern Ireland Audit Office for its mismanagement of a broadband scheme starting in 2004 and carried out by Bytel Networks, which saw Bytel receive over a million euros in a European Union grant for equipment that was never used. DETI subsequently sued Bytel in an attempt to reclaim more than four million euros. [25]

In 2016, the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal came to light which was a botched scheme that was run by DETI, now Department for the Economy. The minister in charge at the time, Arlene Foster, faced pressure to resign as the scheme cost the NI Executive £400m over 20 years.

Ministers for the Economy

MinisterImagePartyTook officeLeft office
    Sir Reg Empey Official portrait of Lord Empey crop 2.jpg UUP29 November 199911 February 2000
Office suspended
    Sir Reg Empey Official portrait of Lord Empey crop 2.jpg UUP30 May 200014 October 2002 [26]
Office suspended
    Nigel Dodds NigelDodds.jpg DUP14 May 20079 June 2008
    Arlene Foster MLA Arlene Foster.jpg DUP9 June 200811 May 2015
    Jonathan Bell JonathanBellDUP.jpg DUP11 May 201530 March 2016 [note 1]
Office renamed Minister for the Economy
    Simon Hamilton SimonHamiltonDUP.jpg DUP25 May 20162 March 2017
Office suspended
    Diane Dodds Diane Dodds MEP, Strasbourg - Diliff.jpg DUP11 January 202013 June 2021
    Paul Frew Paul Frew.jpg DUP14 June 20216 July 2021
    Gordon Lyons Gordon Lyons 2021.jpg DUP6 July 202127 October 2022
Office suspended
    Conor Murphy SF Conor Murphy 2022 (cropped).jpg Sinn Féin3 February 20248 May 2024 [27]
    Deirdre Hargey Deirdre Hargey.jpg Sinn Féin8 May 202428 May 2024
    Conor Murphy SF Conor Murphy 2022 (cropped).jpg Sinn Féin28 May 2024Incumbent [28]

Direct rule ministers

During the periods of suspension, the following ministers of the Northern Ireland Office were responsible for the department:

See also

Related Research Articles

The Northern Ireland Executive is the devolved government of Northern Ireland, an administrative branch of the legislature – the Northern Ireland Assembly, situated in Belfast. It is answerable to the assembly and was initially established according to the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which followed the Good Friday Agreement. The executive is referred to in the legislation as the Executive Committee of the assembly and is an example of consociationalist ("power-sharing") government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department for Transport</span> Ministerial department of the UK Government

The Department for Transport (DfT) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved. The department is run by the Secretary of State for Transport, currently Louise Haigh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Ireland Office</span> Ministerial department of the UK Government

The Northern Ireland Office is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for handling Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and is based at Erskine House in Belfast City Centre and 1 Horse Guards Road in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regional development agency</span> Economic and social advancement NDPBs in Britain

In the United Kingdom, regional development agencies (RDAs) were nine non-departmental public bodies established for the purpose of development, primarily economic, of England's Government Office regions between 1998 and 2010. There was one RDA for each of the NUTS level 1 regions of England. Similar activities were carried out in Wales by the Welsh Government Department of Economy and Transport, in Northern Ireland by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and in Scotland by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

The administration of education policy in the Britain began in the 19th century. Official mandation of education began with the Elementary Education Act 1870 for England and Wales, and the Education (Scotland) Act 1872 for Scotland. Education policy has always been run separately for the component nations of Britain, and is now a devolved matter.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs is a government department in the Northern Ireland Executive, the devolved administration for Northern Ireland. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. The department was called the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development between 1999 and 2016. The Minister of Agriculture previously existed in the Government of Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972, where the department was known as the Ministry of Agriculture. The current Permanent Secretary is Katrina Godfrey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (Northern Ireland)</span> Defunct Northern Irish government department

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure was a devolved government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department was the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure.

The Department for Communities is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for Communities. The department was previously created in May 2016 following the Fresh Start Agreement and the dissolution of several departments, such as the Department for Social Development, the Department of the Environment, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Department for Employment and Learning from which several functions have amalgamated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland)</span> Northern Irish government department

The Department for Infrastructure is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland)</span> Defunct Northern Irish government department

The Department of the Environment was a devolved Northern Irish government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The Minister for the Environment was overall responsible for the department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department for Employment and Learning</span> Defunct Northern Irish government department

The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL),, was a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department was the Minister for Employment and Learning. The department was initially known as the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment (DHFETE), between 1999 and 2001.

The Department of Education (DENI) is a devolved Northern Irish government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister of Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department of Finance (Northern Ireland)</span> Northern Irish government department

The Department of Finance is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for Finance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department of Health (Northern Ireland)</span> Northern Irish government department

The Department of Health, Ulster-Scots: Männystrie o Poustie) is a devolved Northern Irish government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister of Health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Ireland Civil Service</span> Permanent bureaucracy of the Northern Ireland Executive

The Northern Ireland Civil Service is the permanent bureaucracy of employees that supports the Northern Ireland Executive, the devolved government of Northern Ireland.

The Executive Office (TEO) is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive with overall responsibility for the running of the Executive. The ministers with overall responsibility for the department are the First Minister and deputy First Minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Invest Northern Ireland</span> Economic development agency for Northern Ireland

Invest Northern Ireland is Northern Ireland's regional economic development agency. It is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) of the Department for the Economy (DfE). According to DETI's website, it "supports business growth and inward investment, promotes innovation, research and development and in-company training, encourages exports and supports local economic development and company start up."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland</span> Joint heads of government of Northern Ireland

The First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland are the joint heads of government of Northern Ireland, leading the Northern Ireland Executive and with overall responsibility for the running of the Executive Office. Despite the titles of the two offices, the two positions have the same governmental power, resulting in a duumvirate; the deputy First Minister, customarily spelled with a lowercase d, is not subordinate to the First Minister. Created under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, both were initially nominated and appointed by members of the Northern Ireland Assembly on a joint ticket by a cross-community vote, under consociational principles. That process was changed following the 2006 St Andrews Agreement, such that the First Minister now is nominated by the largest party overall, and the deputy First Minister is nominated by the largest party from the next largest community block.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department for Business, Innovation and Skills</span> Defunct ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It was created by the Gordon Brown premiership on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. It was disbanded by the Theresa May premiership on the creation of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 14 July 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy</span> Defunct department of the UK Government

The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) was a ministerial department of the United Kingdom Government, from July 2016 to February 2023.

References

  1. ↑ "Northern Ireland Quarterly Employment Survey Historical Data". Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  2. ↑ "Budget 2011–15" (PDF). Department of Finance and Personnel. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  3. ↑ "DfE Permanent Secretary". 21 February 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  4. ↑ "Annual Report 2003" (PDF) (in Irish). North/South Ministerial Council . Retrieved 3 March 2009.[ permanent dead link ] (page 29)
  5. ↑ Northern Ireland Budget 2011–15, page 57
  6. ↑ http://www.detini.gov.uk Archived 28 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine DETI
  7. ↑ Companies Act 2006
  8. ↑ Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 3
  9. ↑ Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 2
  10. ↑ "Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: What We Do" . Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  11. ↑ "Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications: About". 12 September 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  12. ↑ "Department of Transport: About". 29 July 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  13. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Commencement) Order 2000
  14. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2000
  15. ↑ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2001
  16. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2001
  17. ↑ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001
  18. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001
  19. ↑ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2002
  20. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2007
  21. ↑ "Independent Review of Economic Policy". Independent Review of Economic Policy (Northern Ireland). Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  22. ↑ "Justice 2012 – Stormont Castle proposals". Northern Ireland Executive. 11 January 2012. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  23. ↑ "Ford says cutting Department for Employment and Learning could damage economy". Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. 11 January 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  24. ↑ "Justice 2012 – The Way Forward". Northern Ireland Executive. 18 January 2012. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  25. ↑ "NI Audit Office finds 'major failings' in handling of Bytel Project". BBC News. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  26. ↑ Office suspended for 24 hours on 11 August 2001 and 22 September 2001
  27. ↑ "Conor Murphy steps down as Economy Minister on medical grounds". BBC News. 8 May 2024. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  28. ↑ "Sinn Féin's Conor Murphy returning to Stormont". BBC News. 28 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  1. ↑ Resigned on 10 September 2015, re-entered office on 16 Sept. till 17 Sept., then on the 23 Sept.-24 Sept, then 28 Sept.-29 Sept., then 30 Sept.-1 Oct. 2015. Following the 20 October he permanently occupies the office
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.