Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland)

Northern Ireland

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The Department of the Environment (DOE, Irish: An Roinn Comhshaoil^[1]) is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for the Environment.

Aim

The DOE’s overall aim is to “work in partnership" with the public, private and voluntary sectors to promote the "economic and social welfare of the community" through "promoting sustainable development and seeking to secure a better and safer environment for everyone". ^[2]

The incumbent Minister is Alex Attwood (Social Democratic and Labour Party).^[3]

Responsibilities

The main policy responsibilities of the department are:^[4]

• the natural environment
• the built environment
• land use planning
• road safety
• regulation of drivers, vehicles and vehicle operators
• local government

The DOE’s main counterparts in the United Kingdom Government are:

• the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra);^[5]
• the Department for Communities and Local Government;^[6]
• the Department for Transport;^[7]
• the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (on built heritage).^[8]

In the Irish Government, its main counterparts are:

• the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government;^[9] and
• the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.^[10]

History

Following a referendum on the Belfast Agreement on 23 May 1998 and the granting of Royal Assent to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on 19 November 1998, a Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive were established by the United Kingdom government under Prime Minister Tony Blair. The process was known as devolution and was set up to return devolved legislative powers to Northern Ireland. DoE is one of 11 devolved Northern Ireland departments created in December 1999 by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.

A devolved minister first took office on 2 December 1999. Devolution was suspended for four periods, during which the department came under the responsibility of direct rule ministers from the Northern Ireland Office:

• between 12 February 2000^[11] and 30 May 2000^[12];
• on 11 August 2001^[13][14];
• on 22 September 2001^[15][16];
• between 15 October 2002^[17] and 8 May 2007^[18].

Since 8 May 2007, devolution has operated without interruption.

Ministers of the Environment

	Minister	Party	Took office	Left office
	Sam Foster	Ulster Unionist	2 December 1999	11 February 2000
Office suspended
	Sam Foster	Ulster Unionist	30 May 2000	20 February 2002[19]
	Dermot Nesbitt	Ulster Unionist	20 February 2002	14 October 2002
Office suspended
	Arlene Foster	Democratic Unionist	8 May 2007	9 June 2008
	Sammy Wilson	Democratic Unionist	9 June 2008	1 July 2009
	Edwin Poots	Democratic Unionist	1 July 2009	5 May 2011
	Alex Attwood	SDLP	16 May 2011

Direct rule ministers

During the periods of suspension, the following ministers of the Northern Ireland Office were responsible for the department:

• George Howarth (2000)
• Angela Smith (2002-05)
• Lord Rooker (2005-06)
• David Cairns (2006-07)

References

1. ^ "Annual Report 2003" (in Irish). North/South Ministerial Council. http://www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/nsmc_annual_report_-_irish_version_(pdf_3.06mb).pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-03.  (page 30)
2. ^ Northern Ireland Budget 2011-15, page 80
3. ^ http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/index/work-of-the-executive/ministers-and-their-departments.htm Northern Ireland Executive
4. ^ DOE: About us
5. ^ Defra: About Defra
6. ^ Communities and Local Government: About us
7. ^ Department for Transport: About us
8. ^ DCMS: Historic environment
9. ^ Environment, Community and Local Government: Mission Statement
10. ^ Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Roads
11. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Commencement) Order 2000
12. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2000
13. ^ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2001
14. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2001
15. ^ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001
16. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001
17. ^ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2002
18. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2007
19. ^ Office suspended for 24 hours on 11 August 2001 and 22 September 2001

See also

• Committee for the Environment

External links

• Department of Environment web site
• The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999PDF (37.0 KB)