First Minister and Deputy First Minister

Responsibilities

Northern Ireland

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Northern Ireland
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The First Minister and deputy First Minister have the same governmental power, and their decisions are made jointly. The First Minister is, though, the first to greet official visitors to Northern Ireland and shares the same title as his counterparts in Scotland and Wales.

Specifically, they are tasked with co-chairing meetings of the Northern Ireland Executive, "dealing with and co-ordinating" the work of the Executive, and the response of the administration to external relationships.

The First Minister and deputy First Minister agree the agenda of Executive meetings and can jointly determine "significant or controversial matters" to be considered by the Executive.

The ministers' policy responsibilities include:

economic policy
equality
European Union issues
human rights
the machinery of government (including the Ministerial Code)
public appointments policy
standards in public life

Two junior ministers assist the First Minister and deputy First Minister in carrying out the work of OFMDFM. They are jointly accountable to the First Minister and deputy First Minister. The incumbent junior ministers are Jonathan Bell (Democratic Unionist Party, DUP) and Martina Anderson (Sinn Féin).

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First Minister and Deputy First Minister - Responsibilities