Department for Employment and Learning

Department for Employment and Learning
Department overview
Formed	1998
Headquarters	Adelaide House Adelaide Street Belfast BT2 8FD
Minister responsible	Stephen Farry, Minister for Employment and Learning
Website
[1]

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The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL, Irish: An Roinn Fostaíochta agus Foghlama^[1], Ulster Scots: Depairtment for Employ an Learnin^[2]), formerly the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment (DHFETE), is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for Employment and Learning.

Aim

DEL’s overall aim is to “promote learning and skills, to prepare people for work and to support the economy”. ^[3]

The incumbent Minister is Dr Stephen Farry (Alliance Party of Northern Ireland). ^[4]

Responsibilities

The department is responsible for policy in the following areas: ^[5]

• employment
• further education
• higher education
• skills and training
• employment rights and responsibilities

The Department of Education is responsible for all other levels of education in Northern Ireland ^[6].

DEL’s main counterparts in the United Kingdom Government are:

• the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (including employment relations); and ^[7]
• the Department for Work and Pensions (on general employment policy). ^[8]

In the Irish Government, its main counterparts are:

• the Department of Education and Skills; ^[9]
• the Department of Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation (on employment). ^[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. DEL 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.

The department was named the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment until 20 July 2001 but was changed to its current title as the initials DHEFETE were pronounced as "Defeat".^[11]

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 ^[12] and 30 May 2000^[13];
• on 11 August 2001 ^[14][15];
• on 22 September 2001 ^[16][17];
• between 15 October 2002^[18] and 8 May 2007^[19].

Since 8 May 2007, devolution has operated without interruption.

Ministers for Employment and Learning

	Minister	Party	Took office	Left office
	Sean Farren	SDLP	December 2, 1999	February 11, 2000
Office suspended
	Sean Farren	SDLP	May 30, 2000	December 14, 2001[20]
	Carmel Hanna	SDLP	December 14, 2001	October 14, 2002
Office suspended
	Sir Reg Empey	Ulster Unionist	8 May 2007	27 October 2010
	Danny Kennedy	Ulster Unionist	27 October 2010	5 May 2011
	Stephen Farry	Alliance	16 May 2011

Direct rule ministers

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

• Adam Ingram (2000)
• Jane Kennedy (2002-04)
• Barry Gardiner (2004-05)
• Angela Smith (2005-06)
• Maria Eagle (2006-07)

See also

• Committee for Employment and Learning

References

1. ^ "Customer Service Standards 2007-2008" (in Irish). Department for Employment and Learning. http://www.delni.gov.uk/customer_service_standards_2007_2008_translated_into_irish.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-03. 
2. ^ "Customer Service Standards 2007-2008" (in Ulster Scots). Department for Employment and Learning. http://www.delni.gov.uk/customer_service_standards_2007_2008_translated_into_ulster_scots.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-03. 
3. ^ Northern Ireland Budget 2011-15, page 53
4. ^ http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/index/work-of-the-executive/ministers-and-their-departments.htm Northern Ireland Executive
5. ^ DEL: About the Department
6. ^ About the Department of Education
7. ^ BIS: About BIS
8. ^ DWP: About DWP
9. ^ Department of Education and Skills: Functions
10. ^ Department of Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation: About the Department of Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation
11. ^ http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/northernireland/acts/acts2001/pdf/nia_20010015_en.pdf Department for Employment and Learning Act (Northern Ireland) 2001
12. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Commencement) Order 2000
13. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2000
14. ^ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2001
15. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2001
16. ^ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001
17. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001
18. ^ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2002
19. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2007
20. ^ Office suspended for 24 hours on 11 August 2001 and 22 September 2001

External links

• DEL
• The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999PDF (37.0 KB)
• Department for Employment and Learning Act (Northern Ireland) 2001PDF (132.0 KB)