New NI Executive appointed

Two years to the day that the DUP withdrew from the NI Executive, it’s back. Following a sitting of the NI Assembly on Saturday, a Speaker and Deputy Speakers were elected, and Ministers appointed to all Executive departments.

It’s not the Executive many expected as the DUP selected Education first instead of Finance.

The breakdown was as follows:

• Sinn Féin opted for Economy and Finance Departments along with Infrastructure – that’s a line-up of Conor Murphy MLA, Caoimhe Archibald MLA and John O’Dowd MLA.
• The DUP have Communities and Education – Gordon Lyons MLA and Paul Givan MLA respectively.
• Alliance Party leader Naomi Long MLA heads to Justice again and Andrew Muir MLA is now Minister for Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs.
• The UUP’s Robin Swann MLA returns to Health.

Other key developments:

• Edwin Poots MLA (DUP) was elected as Speaker of the Assembly.
• John Blair MLA (Alliance), Steve Aiken MLA (UUP) and Carál Ní Chuilín MLA (Sinn Féin) were elected as Deputy Speakers.
• Matthew O’Toole MLA (SDLP) was officially confirmed as Leader of the Opposition.
• Committee Chair and Deputy Chair positions, as well as membership of Committees, are due to be filled at the beginning of next week. 

NI Executive