66-507: Official Opposition (8) Other Opposition (3) Speaker (1) The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish : Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann ; Ulster Scots : Norlin Airlan Assemblie ), often referred to by the metonym Stormont , is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland . It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of
132-745: A Permanent Secretary , or the Head of the Civil Service in the case of the Executive Office. The Permanent Secretaries Group meets monthly and effectively the highest level of government in Northern Ireland in the absence of the Executive. The interim Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service has been vacant since August 2020, but Jenny Pyper has been temporary appointed as interim Head of
198-640: A "Transitional Assembly established under the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006" – to continue to contribute to preparations for the restoration of devolved government. A person who was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly was also a member of the Transitional Assembly, with the same speaker and deputy speaker as elected for "the Assembly". The Transitional Assembly first met on 24 November 2006 but proceedings were suspended due to
264-425: A bomb threat by loyalist paramilitary Michael Stone . It was dissolved on 30 January 2007 when the election campaign for the next Northern Ireland Assembly started. Subsequently, a new election to the suspended Northern Ireland Assembly was held on 7 March 2007. The DUP and Sinn Féin consolidated their positions as the two largest parties in the election and agreed to enter government together. Peter Hain signed
330-556: A day chosen by the Secretary of State . After each election the Assembly must meet within eight days. The Assembly can vote to dissolve itself early by a two-thirds majority of the total number of its members. It is also automatically dissolved if it is unable to elect a First Minister and deputy First Minister (effectively joint first ministers, the only distinction being in the titles) within six weeks of its first meeting or of those positions becoming vacant. There have been six elections to
396-538: A field of competences known as "transferred matters". These matters are not explicitly given in the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Rather they include any competence not explicitly retained by the Parliament at Westminster. Powers reserved by Westminster are divided into "excepted matters", which it retains indefinitely, and "reserved matters", which may be transferred to the competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly at
462-535: A future date. A list of transferred, reserved and excepted matters is given below. While the Assembly was in suspension, its legislative powers were exercised by the UK Government, which governs through procedures at Westminster. Laws that would have normally been within the competence of the Assembly were passed by the UK Parliament in the form of Orders-in-Council rather than Acts of the Assembly. Further, when
528-619: A majority within both blocs in order to pass. The Assembly is one of two "mutually inter-dependent" institutions created under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement , the other being the North/South Ministerial Council with the Republic of Ireland . The Agreement aimed to end Northern Ireland's violent 30-year Troubles . The first Assembly election was held in June 1998. Lowercase "d" per here . From June 1921 until March 1972,
594-533: A new election. Northern Ireland Assembly Opposition Lowercase "d" per here . The role of official opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly can be taken by larger political parties who do not participate in Northern Ireland's consociational power-sharing Executive . Forming an Assembly Opposition empowers opposition parties to scrutinise the work of government, giving them financial assistance, enhanced speaking rights in
660-889: A preliminary to the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive. Multi-party talks in October 2006 resulted in the St Andrews Agreement , wherein Sinn Féin committed to support the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the mechanism for nominating First and deputy First Ministers was changed. In May 2006, Ian Paisley , leader of the DUP, had refused Sinn Féin's nomination to be First Minister alongside Sinn Féin's chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness , as deputy First Minister; after
726-714: A restoration order on 25 March 2007 allowing for the restoration of devolution at midnight on the following day. An administration was eventually established on 10 May with Ian Paisley as First Minister and Martin McGuinness as deputy First Minister. This third Assembly was the first legislature in Northern Ireland to complete a full term since the Northern Ireland Parliament which convened between 1965 and 1969 and saw powers in relation to policing and justice transferred from Westminster on 12 April 2010. Peter Robinson succeeded Ian Paisley as First Minister and DUP leader in 2008. A five-year term came into effect with
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#1732837311102792-466: A total of 15 parties have held seats in the Assembly since 1998: Unionist: Nationalist: Other: The course of the Assembly saw a marked shift in party allegiance among voters. At the 2003 election, the DUP and Sinn Féin displaced the more moderate UUP and SDLP as the largest parties in the unionist and nationalist blocks. The parties only agreed to share power after four years of negotiations and
858-646: Is found to: A transferred matter is defined as "any matter which is not an excepted or reserved matter". There is therefore no full listing of transferred matters but they have been grouped into the responsibilities of the Northern Ireland Executive ministers: Reserved matters are outlined in Schedule 3 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998: Excepted matters are outlined in Schedule 2 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998: The Assembly has three primary mechanisms to ensure effective power-sharing: The Assembly has
924-602: Is the permanent bureaucracy of employees that supports the Northern Ireland Executive , the devolved government of Northern Ireland. The NICS is one of three civil services in the United Kingdom, the others being the Home Civil Service and HM Diplomatic Service . The heads of these services are members of the Permanent Secretaries Management Group. Northern Ireland was established by
990-633: The Assembly Members (Reduction of Numbers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 the number of MLAs per constituency was reduced from 6 to 5, leaving a total of 90 seats. This took effect at the March 2017 election. The constituencies used are the same as those used for elections to the United Kingdom Parliament at Westminster. The Northern Ireland Act 1998 provides that, unless the Assembly is dissolved early, elections should occur once every four years on
1056-574: The British Isles and Western Europe, was not accountable to locally elected political representatives during this time. From 1982 to 1999, there were six departments: The Good Friday Agreement (April 1998) led to the formation of the Northern Ireland Executive (accountable to the Northern Ireland Assembly ) on 2 December 1999, which ended 25 years of direct rule. The Executive was suspended several times due to political disputes (notably from October 2002 to May 2007) and each suspension resulted in
1122-624: The Government of Ireland Act 1920 and the first devolved Parliament of Northern Ireland took office on 7 June 1921. The first civil servants were transferred from the Irish civil service headquartered at Dublin Castle . The departments of the Northern Ireland Government were initially the following: An additional Ministry of Health and Local Government was formed in 1944, in preparation for
1188-697: The May 2016 assembly election , and has once again been taken by the SDLP since the May 2022 assembly election . Northern Ireland was governed from 1921 to 1972 by a bicameral Parliament , where in the lower House of Commons the largest and therefore the governing party was consistently the Ulster Unionist Party . It could have been expected, following the Westminster system, that the role of official Opposition would be taken by largest party outside of government, which
1254-570: The National Health Service and other aspects of the welfare state. In 1965, that department was split between the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the new Ministry of Development . A further Ministry of Community Relations was established in 1969, in response to the early stages of the Troubles . The Parliament of Northern Ireland was dissolved on 30 March 1972, when direct rule
1320-473: The Northern Ireland Executive after Sinn Féin's offices at Stormont were raided by police, who were investigating allegations of intelligence gathering on behalf of the IRA by members of the party's support staff. The Assembly, already suspended, was dissolved on 28 April 2003 as scheduled, but the elections due the following month were postponed by the UK Government and were not held until November that year. Although
1386-457: The Secretary of State , the UK Government minister with responsibility for Northern Ireland. It was not supported by Irish nationalists and was officially dissolved in 1986. The Northern Ireland (Elections) Act 1998 formally established the Assembly in law under the name New Northern Ireland Assembly , in accordance with the Good Friday (or Belfast) Agreement . The first election of members of
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#17328373111021452-612: The fourth Assembly elected in 2011 . The subsequent period was dominated by issues of culture and dealing with the past which culminated in the Fresh Start Agreement in 2014. The first Official Opposition in the Assembly was formed by the UUP in the closing months of the fourth term. Following the election of the fifth Assembly in 2016, the DUP and Sinn Féin formed the fourth Executive , with Arlene Foster as First Minister and Martin McGuinness continuing deputy First Minister. In
1518-399: The partition of the island . Nationalist Party members refused to take their seats in the legislature until 1924, and resumed the abstentionist policy in the 1930s to protest the abolition of proportional representation . From 1937, Thomas Joseph Campbell and Richard Byrne were the only Nationalist MPs to take their seats until Byrne's death in 1942 and Campbell's resignation in 1945. It
1584-557: The 2016 and 2017 elections, and met the second criteria after the 2022 election, choosing to join the opposition for the fifth and seventh terms. Alliance fulfilled the second criteria in the 2017 election and both criteria after the 2022 election but have not elected to join the Opposition. Meanwhile, the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin would currently be excluded from entering opposition if they wished to, because as
1650-443: The Assembly since 1998. The Assembly uses a consociational system. Each MLA is free to designate themselves as "Nationalist", "Unionist", or "other", as they see fit, the only requirement being that no member may change their designation more than once during an Assembly session. The system has been criticised by some, in particular the cross-community Alliance Party , as entrenching sectarian divisions. Alliance supports ending
1716-483: The Assembly Opposition was established by the Assembly and Executive Reform (Assembly Opposition) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016. Under section 2, a party may join the official Opposition if it both has no minister in government, and it meets one or both of two criteria: The UUP have consistently fulfilled both criteria, however only elected to join the Opposition in the fifth term. The SDLP met both criteria after
1782-544: The Assembly is suspended, certain devolved matters revert to the remit of the British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC). The BIIGC guarantees the Government of Ireland a say in areas of bilateral co-operation and on those matters not yet devolved to the Assembly or the North/South Ministerial Council . Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly as with other subordinate legislatures are subject to judicial review. A law can be struck down if it
1848-494: The Assembly remained suspended from 2002 until 2007, the members elected at the 2003 Assembly election were called together on 15 May 2006 under the Northern Ireland Act 2006 to meet in an Assembly to be technically known as "the Assembly established under the Northern Ireland Act 2006" for the purpose of electing a First Minister and deputy First Minister and choosing the members of an Executive before 25 November 2006 as
1914-610: The Assembly's history. The Executive of the Sixth Assembly was formed on 11 January 2020. Unlike the United Kingdom Parliament and the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament), the Assembly had no provision for an official opposition to hold governing parties to account until legislation was passed in 2016. A party may now form or join an Assembly Opposition , granting it additional speaking, scrutiny and funding rights, if it
1980-703: The Code of Ethics, each civil servant is expected to carry out his or her role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values : integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality, defined as follows. The code also outlines the standards of behaviour expected in carrying out the role in accordance with each of those values. There are three staff groups within the Northern Ireland Civil Service: Senior Civil Service, Non Industrial, and Industrial. The Senior Civil Service has four grades: The Non Industrial staff group
2046-464: The DUP resigned. Due to the power-sharing arrangements, this also caused the deputy First Minister to lose her position. Elections were held for a seventh assembly in May 2022. Sinn Féin emerged as the largest party, followed by the Democratic Unionist Party . The newly elected assembly met for the first time on 13 May 2022 and again on 30 May. However, at both these meetings, the DUP refused to assent to
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2112-1388: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition. Following the Assembly Opposition Act, the standing orders which regulate how the Assembly conducts its business were amended on 14 March 2016 to provide the Assembly Opposition with: The Assembly Opposition Act also required standing orders to grant: and amended the Financial Assistance for Political Parties Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 to give Assembly Opposition parties additional funding (section 11). Northern Ireland Civil Service Lowercase "d" per here . King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The Northern Ireland Civil Service ( NICS ; Irish : Státseirbhís Thuaisceart Éireann ; Ulster-Scots : Norlin Airlann Cïvil Sarvice )
2178-690: The Executive: The Executive collapsed due to the loyalist Ulster Workers' Council Strike and direct rule resumed. The Troubles continued in the absence of a political settlement. Between May 1974 and December 1999, departments were led politically by junior ministers in the Northern Ireland Office . UK Governments alternated between the Conservative and Labour parties, neither of which included Members of Parliament from Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Civil Service, uniquely in
2244-482: The New Northern Ireland Assembly was on 25 June 1998 and it first met on 1 July 1998. However, it only existed in "shadow" form until 2 December 1999 when full powers were devolved to the Assembly. Since then the Assembly has operated with several interruptions and has been suspended on six occasions: Attempts to secure its operation on a permanent basis were initially frustrated by disagreements between
2310-618: The Northern Ireland Civil Service and the media through abbreviations (see brackets below): The number of departments increased to 11 (and ministers to 12) when the Department of Justice (abbreviated to DoJ) was created on 12 April 2010. The Northern Ireland Office continued in operation, representing the interests of the United Kingdom Government in Northern Ireland. Following the Fresh Start Agreement (November 2015),
2376-460: The Northern Ireland Civil Service for the term of eight months from 1 December 2020 pending the appointment of a permanent interim Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. Jayne Brady is now the Head of the Civil Service in Northern Ireland. As of June 2011, the Northern Ireland Civil Service employed 25,847 staff (out of a total public sector employment of 218,577). The breakdown by department
2442-558: The St Andrews Agreement, these positions were now chosen by larger parties only, while the holders of other positions were elected by sitting MLAs. Eileen Bell was appointed by the Secretary of State , Peter Hain , to be the interim speaker of the Assembly, with Francie Molloy and Jim Wells acting as deputy speakers. The Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 repealed the Northern Ireland Act 2006 and disbanded "the Assembly". The St Andrews Agreement Act provided for
2508-709: The UK) and the Republic of Ireland. Talks eventually succeeded under a third Secretary of State Julian Smith . The sixth Assembly resumed on 11 January 2020, shortly before the UK's exit from the European Union . In February 2021, DUP MLAs threatened to bring down the Assembly and force an early election in protest at Boris Johnson 's Brexit deal , which would put a border in the Irish Sea . On 3 February 2022, First Minister Paul Givan of
2574-525: The United Kingdom , and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive . It sits at Parliament Buildings at Stormont in Belfast . The Assembly is a unicameral , democratically elected body comprising 90 members known as members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). Members are elected under the single transferable vote form of proportional representation (STV-PR). In turn, the Assembly selects most of
2640-494: The chamber and the right to chair certain committees . While the Assembly and Executive had been in operation since 1998 and 1999, respectively (following the Good Friday Agreement ), the Assembly Opposition was only established in 2016, as part of the Fresh Start Agreement . The opportunity was first taken by the Ulster Unionist Party and Social Democratic and Labour Party for the Assembly's fifth term , following
2706-495: The devolved legislature for Northern Ireland was the Parliament of Northern Ireland , established by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and meeting from 1932 at Stormont , outside Belfast. Due to gerrymandering practices, the Parliament always had an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) majority and always elected a UUP administration . For its first two elections it used proportional representation ( Single transferable voting ) but switched to First-past-the-post voting in 1929. It
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2772-472: The election of a speaker as part of a protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol , which meant that the assembly could not continue other business, including the appointment of a new Executive . The incumbent speaker and incumbent ministers continued in office in caretaker roles. After the deadline set by Westminster for restoring devolved government was missed, the Northern Ireland secretary
2838-408: The first Thursday in May. The Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 was passed to bring the Northern Ireland Assembly into line with the other devolved legislatures and to extend each Assembly term to five years instead of four. The second election to the Assembly was delayed by the UK government until 26 November 2003. The Assembly is dissolved shortly before the holding of elections on
2904-489: The hands of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, and a budget for the ongoing 2017–18 financial year was passed by the UK Parliament. Over time, further legislation was passed for Northern Ireland at Westminster, repeatedly extending the deadline for Executive formation although no direct rule ministers were appointed during this suspension. In 2019, the UK Parliament enacted one such Bill to legalise same-sex marriage and liberalise abortion, in line with Great Britain (the rest of
2970-472: The largest parties of the largest and second largest Assembly 'block' (understood to mean 'Unionist', 'Nationalist' and 'Other'). The Minister of Justice is appointed by cross-community agreement. The seven other ministerial positions are distributed among willing parties roughly proportionate to their share of seats in the Assembly by the D'Hondt method , with ministers chosen by the nominating officers of each party. The Assembly has authority to legislate in
3036-605: The largest unionist and largest nationalist party they must participate in the Executive. The Assembly Opposition Act recognises the offices of Leader of the Largest Non-Executive Party and Leader of the Second-Largest Non-Executive Party, although these positions may be given alternative names (section 5). Assembly Standing Orders clarifies these roles will be titled the Leader of the Opposition and
3102-472: The ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive using the principle of power-sharing under the D'Hondt method to ensure that Northern Ireland's largest voting blocs, British unionists and Irish nationalists , both participate in governing the region. The Assembly's standing orders allow for certain contentious motions to require a cross-community vote ; in addition to requiring the support of an overall majority of members, such votes must also be supported by
3168-459: The official designation of identity requirement and the taking of important votes on the basis of an ordinary super-majority , as does the largest unionist party, the DUP . Which parties can appoint ministers to the Northern Ireland Executive is determined by a combination of mandatory coalition, the D'Hondt method and cross-community support, depending on the role, as explained above. Coalitions of between three and five parties have governed over
3234-519: The parties of Northern Ireland agreed that the number of Executive departments should be reduced. This took effect following the next election to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2016 and reduced the number of Civil Service departments (as three departments were dissolved and its roles amalgamated with other departments). The departments (with official abbreviations) are as follows: The Northern Ireland Executive ceased to operate in January 2017, following
3300-413: The power to call for witnesses and documents, if the relevant responsibility has been transferred to its remit. Proceedings are covered by privilege in defamation law. The Assembly's composition is laid down in the Northern Ireland Act 1998 . It initially had 108 members (MLAs) elected from 18 six-member constituencies on the basis of universal adult suffrage and the single transferable vote . Under
3366-472: The resignation of Martin McGuinness ( Sinn Féin ) as deputy First Minister during a dispute between the DUP and Sinn Féin over the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal . An early election to the Northern Ireland Assembly took place in March 2017 but the Northern Ireland Executive was not formed afterwards due to continued disputes between the DUP and Sinn Féin. Each department is currently led by
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#17328373111023432-437: The return of direct rule. Devolution was restored on 8 May 2007 and was partially interrupted in late 2015, due to the resignation of Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) ministers due to alleged Provisional IRA activity. Devolution resulted in an increase in the number of Civil Service departments, accountable to a cross-community Executive of 11 ministers. The Executive initially had 10 departments, which were often described by
3498-510: The two main unionist parties (the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the Ulster Unionist Party ) and Sinn Féin . Unionist representatives refused to participate in the Good Friday Agreement's institutions alongside Sinn Féin until they were assured that the IRA had discontinued its activities, decommissioned its weapons, and disbanded. The Assembly's suspension from October 2002 to May 2007 occurred when unionist parties withdrew from
3564-493: The wake of the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal , McGuinness resigned from his post in January 2017, bringing an end to almost a decade of unbroken devolution. Sinn Féin withdrew from the Assembly, and a fresh election was held on 2 March 2017. Negotiations mediated by then Secretary of State James Brokenshire missed the three-week deadline provided in law for the formation of an Executive. The passing of an extended legal deadline of 29 June left decisions on funding allocations in
3630-463: Was abolished and replaced in 1973 by a unicameral Northern Ireland Assembly . An Executive was formed in which unionist, nationalist and cross-community parties shared power for the first time. However, that government only lasted from January to May 1974, and from then until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 Northern Ireland was ruled directly by the British Government . The legal basis for
3696-420: Was as follows: Other major public sector employers included National Health Service trusts (68,263), schools, colleges and education and library boards (65,514), local government (12,134) and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (10,542). The public sector constituted 31.3% of the region's workforce. In July 2024, the Northern Ireland Civil Service employed 24,106 staff with the breakdown by department
3762-439: Was as follows: The Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland are not civil servants and are independent of the Executive. The Commissioners are responsible for ensuring that appointments to the Northern Ireland Civil Service are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition; they also have a role in hearing appeals made by existing civil servants under the Northern Ireland Civil Service's Code of Ethics. Under
3828-635: Was brought about by legislation in the Westminster Parliament as a result of continued refusal by the DUP to form an executive. On 30 January 2024, leader of the DUP Jeffrey Donaldson announced that the DUP would restore an executive government on the condition that new legislation was passed by the UK House of Commons . A sitting of the assembly was called for 3 February 2024 at which Edwin Poots
3894-602: Was consistently an Irish nationalist party (jointly Sinn Féin and the Nationalist Party in the Parliament's first term from 1921 to 1925, and thereafter the Nationalist Party). However, during this time members of the Nationalist opposition often practised a policy of abstentionism where they would run for seats in the parliament but refuse to take them if elected, in order not to give legitimacy to British rule or
3960-431: Was elected as Speaker and a new executive led by Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly was formed, restoring devolved government in Northern Ireland. The Assembly has both legislative powers and responsibility for electing the Northern Ireland Executive. The First and deputy First Ministers were initially elected on a cross-community vote , although this was changed in 2006 and they are now appointed as leaders of
4026-433: Was entitled to Ministerial roles under the D'Hondt method and declined them, or if it wins 8% or more of the seats. This opportunity was qualified for and taken by the UUP and SDLP following the 2016 election. Even within the Executive, however, the parties (which have collectively held large majorities in the Assembly) have frequently voted against each other due to political and/or policy differences. Alongside independents,
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#17328373111024092-410: Was established in 1973 with a power-sharing Executive taking office in January 1974. However, this body was brought down by the Ulster Workers' Council strike in May 1974. Political discussions continued against the continued backdrop of the Troubles . In 1982, another Northern Ireland Assembly was established, initially as a body to scrutinise the actions of the Northern Ireland Civil Service and
4158-504: Was imposed by the United Kingdom Government . The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland assumed responsibility for government and was assisted by a new Northern Ireland Office . The NIO absorbed the Ministry of Home Affairs and took direct responsibility for security, justice and constitutional policy. Following the Sunningdale Agreement , a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive briefly held office between 1 January 1974 and 28 May 1974. The following departments were accountable to
4224-408: Was legally required to schedule the election in the following 12 weeks. However, the secretary extended the deadline for the formation of the executive by six weeks, with an option for a further six week extension, so that any Northern Ireland Assembly election that would occur due to a failure to form an executive would happen at some point in 2023. Further extension of the deadline to 8 February 2024
4290-445: Was not until February 1965 that the Nationalist Party agreed to accept recognition as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons. Eddie McAteer served as Leader of the Opposition for the remainder of the tenth term and through the eleventh term until they withdrew from the official Opposition in October 1968 following the Government 's response the RUC 's attack on a NICRA march in Derry . The majority-rule Parliament
4356-418: Was suspended by the UK Government on 30 March 1972 and formally abolished in 1973 under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 . Northern Ireland was subsequently administered by direct rule until 1999, with a brief exception in 1974. Attempts began to restore on a new basis that would see power shared between nationalists and unionists . To this end a new legislature, the Northern Ireland Assembly ,
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