First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland

This article is about the heads of the Northern Ireland Executive since 1998. For the head of the Northern Irish government from 1921 to 1972, see Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.

First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
Irish: Príomh-Aire agus Leas-Príomh-Aire Thuaisceart Éireann
Ulster Scots: First Meinister an First Meinister depute o Norlin Airlann
Logo of the Executive Office
since 3 February 2024
Northern Ireland Executive
Executive Office
Member ofNorthern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Executive
British–Irish Council
PM and Heads of Devolved Governments Council
Council of the Nations and Regions
NominatorLargest political party in each of the two largest community designations within the Northern Ireland Assembly
Precursor
Inaugural holder
Formation1 July 1998
Salary
£120,000 each
(includes MLA salary) [1]
Websitewww.executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk

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, 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 (understood to mean "Unionist", "Nationalist", or "Other").[2]

On 17 June 2021, despite a letter from the Democratic Unionist Party chairman and other senior party members,[3] DUP leader Edwin Poots nominated Paul Givan as First Minister and Sinn Féin re-nominated Michelle O'Neill as Deputy First Minister.[3] On 4 February 2022, Givan resigned as First Minister, which led to O'Neill automatically ceasing to hold office as Deputy First Minister.[4] The offices remained vacant until the appointment of O'Neill as First Minister, the first Irish nationalist to be appointed to the position,[5] and DUP's Emma Little-Pengelly as Deputy First Minister, on 3 February 2024.[6]

  1. ^ "Members' Salaries 2013-2014". Members' Expenses. Northern Ireland Assembly. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  2. ^ "The Assembly & Executive". Northern Ireland Executive. Archived from the original on 13 December 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b Kearney, Vincent (17 June 2021). "Givan, O'Neill installed as NI First and Deputy First Ministers". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  4. ^ McClements, Freya. "Paul Givan resigns as First Minister of Northern Ireland in DUP protocol protest". The Irish Times. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  5. ^ https://news.sky.co.uk/story/michelle-oneill-appointed-northern-irelands-first-nationalist-first-minister-in-historic-moment-13062780[permanent dead link‍] [bare URL]
  6. ^ "Stormont: Michelle O'Neill makes history as nationalist first minister". BBC News. 3 February 2024.