About Northern ireland assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly: A Comprehensive Guide
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature for Northern Ireland. It is responsible for making laws on transferred matters in Northern Ireland and for scrutinising the work of Ministers and Government Departments. The assembly was established under the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, which brought an end to decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.
The assembly has 90 members, known as MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly), who are elected by proportional representation from six constituencies across Northern Ireland. The assembly meets at Parliament Buildings in Stormont, Belfast.
The role of the assembly is to make laws on a range of issues that have been transferred from Westminster to Stormont. These include health, education, agriculture, environment and justice. The assembly also has powers over local government and can pass legislation on issues such as planning and housing.
One of the key functions of the assembly is to scrutinise the work of Ministers and Government Departments. This involves holding them accountable for their actions and decisions through committees that investigate specific areas such as health or education.
In addition to its legislative functions, the assembly also plays an important role in promoting community relations in Northern Ireland. It provides a forum where representatives from different political parties can come together to discuss issues affecting their constituents.
Since its establishment in 1998, there have been periods when the assembly has not been functioning due to political disagreements between parties representing different communities in Northern Ireland. However, following a period without a functioning government between January 2017 and January 2020 due to disagreements over Brexit-related issues among other things; it was restored with new power-sharing arrangements agreed upon by all parties involved.
The current Speaker (as at August 2021) is Alex Maskey MLA who was elected by his peers on January 11th this year after serving as Deputy Speaker since May 2016; he succeeded Robin Newton MLA who had held this position since May 2016.
The assembly is an important institution in Northern Ireland, providing a platform for democratic decision-making and promoting community relations. Its role in making laws on transferred matters and scrutinising the work of Ministers and Government Departments is crucial to the functioning of Northern Ireland's devolved government.
niassembly.gov.uk
