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THE NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY

The Northern Ireland Assembly (1998-2003) was suspended and direct rule reintroduced on 14 October 2002, by an Order under the Northern Ireland Act 2000, amidst growing tension and distrust between the parties and the discovery of an alleged IRA spy ring at Stormont.

The parties, along with the British and Irish governments, came close to a deal to restore devolution, by way of a preparatory shadow Assembly, in the 2004 Comprehensive Agreement. However, the negotiations broke down amidst demands for photographic evidence of IRA decommissioning and were immediately followed by allegations of IRA involvement in the December 2004 Northern Bank raid and the January 2005 murder of Robert McCartney.

In July 2005 the IRA made a formal declaration that its armed campaign was at an end, and instructed volunteers to engage in “purely political and democratic programmes” and not to “engage in any other activities whatsoever”. The September 2005 report of the International Independent Commission on Decommissioning reported the decommissioning of “the totality of IRA arms”. The report was greeted with scepticism by unionists but wholeheartedly by the British and Irish governments. 

The eighth report of the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) in February 2006 gave a positive, but not uncritical, account of the IRA’s progress. However, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain MP, declared that “there was enough evidence of progress to make the process of political talks meaningful”.

Ensuing talks in February 2006 lapsed due to a failure to agree on procedural matters. In an attempt to push the process forward, a Joint Statement was made by the Prime Minister and Taoiseach on the 6 April 2006 at Navan Fort, Armagh, setting out a time-limited plan to restore devolution.  To this end, the Secretary of State announced on 18 April 2006 that he would bring forward emergency legislation to the Commons. The Bill passed through both Houses of Parliament and received the Royal Assent on 8 May 2006.

The Northern Ireland Act 2006 allowed for the Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly to be recalled on 15 May 2006 with the express purpose of electing a First and Deputy First Minister and Executive. The restoration of devolution will only occur if three conditions are met: firstly, that a First and Deputy First Minister have been elected with cross-community consent; second, that an Executive has been elected with similar support; and third, that all the persons elected have affirmed the terms of the Assembly’s pledge of office.

As a result of another round of all-party talks in St Andrews the British and Irish governments outlined a proposed agreement and put it to the political parties on Friday 13 October 2006 as a means of establishing a path back to devolved government. All parties agreed to submit their responses to the deal by 10 November, after consultation with their members.  Following these consultations the two Governments agreed that enough progress had been made to continue with the proposed Agreement as a path to devolved government. 

A Transitional Assembly met on 24 November 2006 to nominate a First and Deputy First Minister and despite some confusion about Ian Paisley's initial statement he set the record straight later that day and indicated his willingness to go forward as First Minister in a power-sharing executive if Sinn Féin signed up to policing and other conditions.

Over the Christmas period pressure mounted on Sinn Féin to call their Extraordinary Ard Fheis on policing. On 28 January 2007, in a historic move Sinn Féin endorsed the Ard Chomhairle motion in support of policing. The DUP welcomed the move but remained cautious about Republican attitude to policing.

The Transitional Assembly which was established in November 2006 under the St Andrews Agreement Act 2006 was dissolved on 30 January 2007 as a result of new Assembly elections being called on 7 March. These elections saw the DUP and Sinn Féin being returned as the two largest parties, with the UUP and SDLP losing a number of seats. The Alliance Party gained an extra seat while the Green Party now has their first MLA.

Following the elections, all the main parties engaged in talks in an attempt to resolve the impasse over the remaining issues (policing, justice and a suitable economic package for Northern Ireland).

Devolution did not occur on 26 March as planned but was postponed for six weeks after an historic face-to-face meeting between Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams where they agreed to power sharing on the 8 May. It is expected that the parties will run d'hondt and set up a shadow Executive and the Assembly will work on the Programme for Government in preparation for devolution on 8 May.

On 28 June 2007 Prime Minister Gordon Brown MP announced his new ministerial team.  Former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain MP moved to head up the Department for Work and Pensions while former NIO Minister Shaun Woodward MP took over as the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. 

The NIO team now consists of the Secretary of State and one other Minister of State, Paul Goggins MP, who holds the security and prisons portfolio.  Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton represents the Northern Ireland Office in the House of Lords.

See St Andrews Agreement

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