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{{Redirect|Cabinet of Northern Ireland|the cabinet of the devolved government from 1922 to 1972|Government of Northern Ireland (1921–1972){{!}}Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{ Infobox executive government
| background_color = #18274F
| government_name = Northern Ireland Executive▼
| border = devolved
| nativename = {{lang-ga|Feidhmeannas Thuaisceart Éireann}}<br />{{lang-sco|Norlin Airlan Executive}}
▲| government_name = Northern Ireland Executive
| border = devolved
| image = Northern Ireland Executive logo.svg
| image_size = 220px230px
| date_established = {{start[[Good date|1999|12Friday Agreement|2|df=y}} December 1999]]; 25 years ago (current form)
| date_dissolved =
| state = [[Northern Ireland]]
| address = [[Stormont Castle]], [[Stormont Estate]], [[Belfast]]▼
| country =
| url = {{URL|northernireland.gov.uk}}▼
| polity =
| leader_title = [[First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland|First Minister and deputy First Minister]]▼
| appointedstatus = [[NorthernHead Irelandof AssemblyGovernment]]
▲ | leader_title = [[First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland|First Minister and deputy First Minister]] ([[Michelle O'Neill]] and [[Emma Little-Pengelly]])
| budget = {{GBP}}12.2 billion (2020–21)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/dfp/Budget%202020-21%20-%20Ministerial%20Statement.pdf|title=Budget 2020-21|website=Department of Finance, Northern Ireland Executive|access-date=10 July 2020|last=Murphy|first=Conor}}</ref>
| appointed = [[Northern Ireland Assembly]]{{efn|The First and deputy First Minister are nominated by the two largest parties in the Assembly. Other ministerial roles are allocated by the [[D'Hondt method|d’Hondt method]] among other parties, except for the [[Department of Justice (Northern Ireland)#Minister|Justice Minister]] brief which is determined by a [[cross-community vote]].}}
| main_organ = [[Northern Ireland Executive#Executive Committee|Executive Committee]]
| ministries = 9<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.northernireland.gov.uk/topics/your-executive/government-departments | title= Government departments| date= 9 May 2016| publisher = Northern Ireland Executive | access-date = 10 February 2024}}</ref> ([[List of Northern Ireland ministers, government departments and executive agencies#Ministers|list]])
}}▼
| responsible = [[Northern Ireland Assembly]]
| budget = £14.2 billion (2023)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/northern-ireland-secretary-announces-2023-24-budget-and-contingency-plans-for-governance |title=Northern Ireland Secretary announces 2023-24 Budget and contingency plans for governance |last=Heaton-Harris |first=Chris |date=27 April 2023 |publisher=UK Government |access-date=10 February 2024 |quote=The total amount available for NI Executive spending is £14.2 billion; The consequences of addressing the £660million gap in the 2022-23 financial year has meant that £297 million provided from the UK Reserve was due to be repaid from the 2023-24 budget.}}</ref>
▲ | address = [[Stormont Castle]], [[Stormont Estate]], [[Belfast]]
▲ | url = {{URL|https://www.northernireland.gov.uk/}}
▲ }}
 
{{Politics of Northern Ireland}}
 
The '''Northern Ireland Executive''' ([[Irish language|Irish]]: ''Feidhmeannas Thuaisceart Éireann'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Naisc {{!}} Northern Ireland Assembly Education Service |url=https://education.niassembly.gov.uk/ga/naisc |access-date=2024-05-16 |website=education.niassembly.gov.uk}}</ref> [[Ulster Scots dialect|Ulster Scots]]: ''Norlin Airlan Executive''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Innin Frae the Jynt Secretars |url=https://www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/sites/northsouthministerialcouncil.org/files/publications/nsmc_annual_report_2003_-_ulster_scots_%28pdf_4001kb%29.pdf}}</ref>) is the [[devolution|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]] (or Belfast Agreement). The [[Executive (government)|executive]] is referred to in the legislation as the '''Executive Committee''' of the assembly and is an example of [[consociationalism|consociationalist]] ("power-sharing") government.
 
The Northern Ireland Executive consists of the [[First Minister and deputy First Minister]] and various ministers with individual portfolios and remits. The main assembly parties appoint most ministers in the executive, except for the [[Department of Justice (Northern Ireland)|Minister of Justice]] who is elected by a [[cross-community vote]]. It is one of three devolved governments in the [[United Kingdom]], the others being the [[Scottish Government|Scottish]] and [[Welsh Government|Welsh]] governments<!-- The name "Welsh Assembly Government" was changed to "Welsh Government" in May 2011 -->.
 
In January 2017, the then deputy First Minister [[Martin McGuinness]] resigned in protest over the [[Renewable Heat Incentive scandal]] and the Northern Ireland Executive consequently collapsed.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=10 January 2017|title=Martin McGuinness resigns as NI deputy first minister|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-38561507|access-date=7 November 2020|website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> The governing of Northern Ireland fell to civil servants in a [[Caretaker government|caretaker]] capacity until January 2020, when the parties signed the [[New Decade, New Approach]] agreement and an Executive was subsequently established.<ref>{{Cite web|date=12 January 2020|title=Stormont deal: Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill new top NI ministers|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-51077397|access-date=7 November 2020|website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> When [[Democratic Unionist Party]] First Minister [[Paul Givan]] resigned in line with his party's protest over the [[Northern Ireland Protocol]], The Northern Ireland Executive collapsed again.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kearney |first=Vincent |date=2022-02-03 |title=Paul Givan resigns as NI First Minister |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2022/0203/1277530-paul-givan/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=[[RTÉ News]]}}</ref> No agreement on power-sharing was made after the [[2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election|2022 Assembly election]], and sincefrom October 2022 to February 2024, Northern Ireland has beenwas governed by civil servants.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-10-27 |title=NI election looms as Stormont deadline passes |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-63420931 |access-date=2023-07-25}}</ref> On 3 February 2024, [[Sinn Féin]]'s [[Michelle O'Neill]] was appointed First Minister, the first Irish nationalist to be appointed to the position,<ref>https://news.sky.co.uk/story/michelle-oneill-appointed-northern-irelands-first-nationalist-first-minister-in-historic-moment-13062780 {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref> with [[Democratic Unionist Party|DUP]]'s [[Emma Little-Pengelly]] as deputy First Minister.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-68180505 | title=Stormont: Michelle O'Neill makes history as nationalist first minister | work=BBC News | date=3 February 2024 }}</ref>
 
==Legal basis==
Line 30 ⟶ 36:
 
==Ministers==
On 9 May 2016,<ref>{{Citecite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2016/89/made/data.htm|title=The Departments (2016 Act) (Commencement) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016|websitework=legislation.gov.uk|date=1 May 2016}}</ref> the number of ministries and departments of the Northern Ireland Executive was reduced, leaving the following departments:<ref>{{cite web|title=Departments Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2016/5|date=29 February 2016|work=legislation.gov.uk}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Executive Office (Northern Ireland)|Executive Office]]
Line 44 ⟶ 50:
 
At the same time, various departments were renamed as follows:
* The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister was renamed the Executive Office
* The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development was renamed the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
* The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment was renamed the Department for the Economy
* The Department of Finance and Personnel was renamed the Department of Finance
* The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety was renamed the Department of Health
* The Department for Regional Development was renamed the Department for Infrastructure
* The Department for Social Development was renamed the Department for Communities
 
The following departments were dissolved:
* The [[Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure]]
* The [[Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland)|Department of the Environment]]
* The [[Department for Employment and Learning]]
 
==Structure==
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===Composition since devolution===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%"
! colspan="16" |Historical composition of the Northern Ireland Executive
|-
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! rowspan="3" |Event
! colspan="4" |[[Consociationalism|Mandatory coalition]]:<br />[[Executive Office (Northern Ireland)|Executive Office]]
! rowspan="3" |Other departments
! colspan="2" rowspan="3" |[[Cross-community vote|Cross-community]]<br />appointment: [[Department of Justice (Northern Ireland)|Justice]]
! colspan="5" |[[D'Hondt method]] allocation
! rowspan="3" |Vacant
! rowspan="3" |Total Ministerial Offices
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |[[First Minister and deputy First Minister|FM]] & [[Junior Minister (Northern Ireland)|j.m.]]
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |[[First Minister and deputy First Minister|dFM]] & [[Junior Minister (Northern Ireland)|j.m.]]
!style="background-color: {{party color|Ulster Unionist Party}}"|
!style="background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic and Labour Party}}"|
Line 150 ⟶ 156:
![[Democratic Unionist Party|DUP]] (U)
![[Sinn Féin|SF]] (N)
![[Alliance Party of Northern Ireland|Alli.APNI]] (O)
|-
| rowspan="2" |'''[[Executive of the 1st Northern Ireland Assembly|1st E.]] ([[Members of the 1st Northern Ireland Assembly|1st&nbsp;A.]])'''
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|'''UUP'''
|style="background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic and Labour Party}}"|
|'''10SDLP'''|| colspan="2" |'''-'''||'''3'''||'''3'''||'''2'''||'''2'''||'''0'''||'''0'''▼
|'''SDLP10'''
▲|'''10'''|| colspan="2" |'''-'''||'''3'''||'''3'''||'''2'''||'''2'''||'''0'''||'''0'''
|-
|14 October 2002
|dissolution|| colspan="411" style="text-align:center;"| Vacant||'''10|| colspan="2" | || colspan="5" | ||10'''
|10
|-
| rowspan="3" |'''[[Executive of the 3rd Northern Ireland Assembly|2nd E.]] ([[Members of the 3rd Northern Ireland Assembly|3rd&nbsp;A.]])'''
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|'''DUP'''
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sinn Féin}}"|
|'''10SF'''|| colspan="2" |'''-'''||'''2'''||'''1'''||'''4'''||'''3'''||'''0'''||'''0'''▼
|'''SF'''▼
|10
▲|'''10'''|| colspan="2" |'''-'''||'''2'''||'''1'''||'''4'''||'''3'''||'''0'''||'''0'''
|-
|12 April 2010
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|style="background-color: {{party color|Sinn Féin}}"|
|SF
|11▼
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}"|
|'''Alliance'''||2||1||4||3||0||0
|'''11'''▼
|-
|24 March 2011
|dissolution|| colspan="411" style="text-align:center;"| Vacant||'''11|| colspan="2" | || colspan="5" | ||11'''
▲|11
|-
| rowspan="4" |'''[[Executive of the 4th Northern Ireland Assembly|3rd E.]] ([[Members of the 4th Northern Ireland Assembly|4th&nbsp;A.]])'''
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|'''formation'''
|style="background-color: {{party color|Democratic Unionist Party}}"|
|'''DUP'''
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sinn Féin}}"|
|'''SF'''
▲|'''11'''
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}"|
|'''Alliance'''||'''1'''||'''1'''||'''4'''||'''3'''||'''1'''||'''0'''
|11▼
|-
|{{nowrap|1 September 2015}}
|resignation
|style="background-color: {{party color|Democratic Unionist Party}}"|
Line 203 ⟶ 211:
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sinn Féin}}"|
|SF
▲|11
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}"|
||Alliance||'''R'''||1||4||3||1||'''1'''
|11▼
|-
|20 October 2015
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|style="background-color: {{party color|Sinn Féin}}"|
|SF
▲|11
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}"|
|Alliance ||R||1||'''5'''||3||1||'''0'''
|11
|-
|16 May 2016
|dissolution|| colspan="411" style="text-align:center;"| Vacant||'''11|| colspan="2" | || colspan="5" | ||11'''
|11
|-
| rowspan="2" |'''[[Executive of the 5th Northern Ireland Assembly|4th E.]] ([[Members of the 5th Northern Ireland Assembly|5th&nbsp;A.]])'''
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|'''formation'''
|style="background-color: {{party color|Democratic Unionist Party}}"|
|'''DUP'''
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sinn Féin}}"|
|'''SF'''
|'''8'''▼
|style="background-color: {{party color|Independent Unionist}}"|
|'''Ind. (U)'''
|'''R'''||'''R'''||'''4'''||'''3'''||'''0'''||'''0'''
▲|'''8'''
|-
|16 January 2017
|dissolution|| colspan="411" style="text-align:center;"| Vacant||'''8|| colspan="2" | || colspan="5" | ||8'''
||8▼
|-
||'''[[Executive of the 6th Northern Ireland Assembly|5th E.]] ([[Members of the 6th Northern Ireland Assembly|6th&nbsp;A.]])'''
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|'''formation'''
|style="background-color: {{party color|Democratic Unionist Party}}"|
|'''DUP'''
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sinn Féin}}"|
|'''SF'''
▲||8
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}"|
||'''Alliance''' ||'''1'''||'''1'''||'''3'''||'''2'''||0||'''0'''
||8▼
|-
|rowspan="2" |'''[[Executive of the 6th Northern Ireland Assembly|5th E.]] (C, ([[Members of the 6th Northern Ireland Assembly|6th&nbsp;A.]])'''
|3 February 2022
|collapse
|colspan="4" style="text-align:center;"| Vacant
▲||8
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}"|
||Alliance
||1||1||3||2||0||0
||8▼
|-
|28 March 2022
|dissolution<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Northern Ireland Assembly is now dissolved. But what does that mean? |url=https://blog.niassembly.gov.uk/2022/03/the-northern-ireland-assembly-is-now.html |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=Assembly Round Up - Official blog from the Northern Ireland Assembly}}</ref>
|colspan="4" style="text-align:center;"| Vacant
▲||8
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}"|
||Alliance
||1||1||3||2||0||0
||8▼
|-
|rowspan="2" |'''[[Executive of the 6th Northern Ireland Assembly|5th E.]] (C, ([[7th Northern Ireland Assembly|7th&nbsp;A.]])'''
|16 May 2022
|reallocation
|colspan="4" style="text-align:center;"| Vacant
▲||8
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}"|
||Alliance
||1||'''0R'''||3||'''3'''||0||0
|8
|-
|27 October 2022
|expiry
| colspan="411" style="text-align:center;" | Vacant ||'''8'''
||8
| colspan="2" | || colspan="5" | ||8
|-
|'''[[Executive of the 7th Northern Ireland Assembly|6th E.]] ([[7th Northern Ireland Assembly|7th&nbsp;A.]])'''
|'''3 Feb 2024'''
|'''formation'''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Sinn Féin}}" |
▲|'''SF'''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Democratic Unionist Party}}" |
|'''DUP'''
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}"|
||Alliance
||1||0||'''2'''||3||'''1'''||'''0'''
|8
|-
| colspan="16" |C = Caretaker ministers under the [[New Decade, New Approach|New Decade, New Approach agreement]]; FM, dFM = First and deputy First Minister;, j.m.each =assisted by a [[Junior Minister (Northern Ireland)|junior minister]] from their respective parties; R = resigned or refused posts entitled to under the D'Hondt method.
|}
 
 
===1998–2002===
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[[Peter Robinson (Northern Ireland politician)|Peter Robinson]] of the [[Democratic Unionist Party|DUP]] and [[Martin McGuinness]] of [[Sinn Féin]] were nominated by their parties and appointed as [[First Minister and deputy First Minister]] on 12 May 2011. [[Traditional Unionist Voice]] leader [[Jim Allister]] opposed the joint appointment.<ref>{{cite web|title=First Minister and deputy First Minister: Appointment and Pledge of Office|url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/record/reports2011/110512.htm#a5|work=Official Report|publisher=Northern Ireland Assembly|date=12 May 2011|access-date=31 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613192114/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/record/reports2011/110512.htm#a5|archive-date=13 June 2011}}</ref> On 16 May 2011, 10 other Executive ministers (with the exception of the Minister of Justice) and two junior ministers were appointed by their political parties. The Minister of Justice was then elected by the Assembly via a cross-community vote.<ref>{{cite web|title=Appointment of Ministers, Appointment of Junior Ministers & Minister of Justice|url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/record/reports2011/110516.htm#a16|work=Official Report|publisher=Northern Ireland Assembly|access-date=31 October 2011|date=16 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110829090952/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/record/reports2011/110516.htm#a16|archive-date=29 August 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
On 26 August 2015, the UUP withdrew from the Executive in protest over the alleged involvement of members of the Provisional IRA in the murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-34063087|title=Ulster Unionist Party intends to leave NI Executive|date=2015-08-26|newspaper=BBC News|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-09-19}}</ref> Danny Kennedy MLA's position as Minister for Regional Development was later taken over by the DUP, thereby leaving four Northern Irish parties in the power sharing agreement. On 10 September 2015 Peter Robinson stepped down as First Minister, although he did not officially resign. Arlene Foster took over as acting First Minister.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-34206728 | title=NI first minister Peter Robinson steps aside in Stormont crisis | work=BBC | date=10 September 2015 | access-date=10 September 2015}}</ref> Robinson subsequently resumed his duties as First Minister again on 20 October 2015.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-34583021 | title=DUP ministers resume Northern Ireland Executive posts | work=BBC | date=20 October 2015 | access-date=20 October 2015}}</ref>
 
Following the signing of the [[Fresh Start Agreement]], Peter Robinson announced his intention to stand down as leader of the DUP and First Minister of Northern Ireland. He subsequently resigned as DUP leader on 18 December 2015, being succeeded by [[Arlene Foster]]. Foster then took office as First Minister on 11 January 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-35260201|title=Arlene Foster: DUP leader becomes new NI first minister|date=2016-01-11|newspaper=BBC News|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-09-19}}</ref>
Line 330 ⟶ 348:
On 11 January 2020, the Executive was re-formed with [[Arlene Foster]] as First Minister and Sinn Féin's [[Michelle O'Neill]] as deputy First Minister following the [[New Decade, New Approach]] agreement. All five parties joined the government; other ministers include [[Edwin Poots]] (DUP); [[Robin Swann]] (UUP), [[Nichola Mallon]] (SDLP), [[Gordon Lyons]] (DUP), and [[Declan Kearney]] (SF). Alliance Party leader [[Naomi Long]] was appointed justice minister. At the first session of the assembly, Foster stated that it was "time for Stormont to move forward". The new speaker of the Assembly was a member of Sinn Féin.<ref>{{cite news |title=DUP and Sinn Féin back in top jobs at Stormont |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-51077397 |access-date=12 January 2020 |work=BBC News |date=11 January 2020}}</ref> The collapse of this Executive led to the [[2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election]].
 
On 3 February 2022, [[Paul Givan]] resigned as first minister, which automatically resigned [[Michelle O'Neill]] as deputy first minister and collapsed the executive of Northern Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-03 |title=DUP’sDUP's Paul Givan resigns as Northern Ireland first minister, as Taoiseach brands it ‘very'very damaging move’move' |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dups-paul-givan-resigns-as-northern-ireland-first-minister-as-taoiseach-brands-it-very-damaging-move/41307670.html |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=Independent.ie |language=en}}</ref>
 
On 30 January 2024, leader of the DUP [[Jeffrey Donaldson]] announced that the DUP would restore an executive government on the condition that new legislation was passed by the UK House of Commons.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-01-30 |title=DUP executive endorses deal to restore devolution at Stormont |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-68136950 |access-date=2024-01-30 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
 
==Executive committee==
{{main|List of Northern Ireland Executives}}{{NI Executive}}
 
No executive has been formed since the [[2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election]]. Before that, members of the last executive were elected on 11 January 2020.
On 8 May 2024, [[Conor Murphy]] stepped down as [[Department for the Economy|Minister for the Economy]]. First Minister [[Michelle O'Neill]] said that [[Deirdre Hargey]] will serve as an interim [[Department for the Economy|Minister for the Economy]].<ref name=":0" />
{{NI Executive}}
 
Ministers are assisted by backbench "Assembly private secretaries" (equivalent to [[parliamentary private secretary|parliamentary private secretaries]]). The non-political [[Attorney General for Northern Ireland]] is the chief legal advisor to the Executive, appointed by the First Minister and deputy First Minister, and may also attend Executive meetings.
Line 348 ⟶ 365:
* [[Government spending in the United Kingdom]]
* [[Northern Ireland peace process]]
 
==Notes==
{{notelist}}
 
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
 
==External links==
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland_Executive"