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| Department overview | |
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| Formed | 24 March 1972 |
| Preceding Department |
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| Jurisdiction | Government of the United Kingdom |
| Headquarters |
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| Employees | 167 (September 2011)[1] |
| Annual budget | £23 million for 2011–12[2] |
| Secretary of State responsible | |
| Department executives |
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| Website | gov |
| This article is part ofa series within the Politics of the United Kingdom on the |
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Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland |
TheNorthern Ireland Office (NIO;Irish:Oifig Thuaisceart Éireann,[3]Ulster-Scots:Norlin Airlann Oaffis)[4] is aministerial department of theGovernment of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for handlingNorthern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by theSecretary of State for Northern Ireland and is based at Erskine House in Belfast City Centre and1 Horse Guards Road in London.
The NIO's role is to "maintain and support" thedevolution settlement resulting from theGood Friday Agreement andSt Andrews Agreement and the devolution ofcriminal justice and policing to theNorthern Ireland Assembly.[5]The department has responsibility for:
It also represents Northern Irish interests at UK Government level and the interests of the UK Government in Northern Ireland.[6]
The Northern Ireland Office has a close working relationship with theGovernment of Ireland as a co-guarantor of thepeace process; this includes theBritish-Irish Intergovernmental Conference and its joint secretariat.[7]
In theIrish Government, the NIO's main counterparts are:
Afterpartition in 1924 theDublin Castle administration was largely replaced by theParliament of Northern Ireland with theNorthern Ireland Department of the Home Office handling the oversight from London,[13] with some extremely important decisions such as sending ofBritish Army soldiers to Northern Ireland in 1969 being made by the Home Secretary.[14] In March 1972 withthe Troubles worsening and the UK Government losing confidence in the Northern Ireland Government,direct rule fromWestminster was introduced.[15]
The formation of the NIO put Northern Ireland on the same level asScotland andWales, where theScottish Office andWelsh Office were established in 1885 and 1965 respectively. The NIO assumed policing and justice powers from theMinistry of Home Affairs. NIO junior ministers were placed in charge of otherNorthern Ireland Civil Service departments.
Direct rule was seen as a temporary measure, with a power-sharing devolution preferred as the solution. Under theNorthern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972, theSecretary of State for Northern Ireland replaced theGovernor of Northern Ireland and direct rule was annually renewed by a vote in Parliament.[16]
TheSunningdale Agreement in 1973 resulted in a brief, power-sharingNorthern Ireland Executive, which was ended by theUlster Workers' Council strike on 28 May 1974. TheNorthern Ireland Constitutional Convention (1975–1976) andNorthern Ireland Assembly (1982–1986) were unsuccessful in restoring devolved government. After theAnglo-Irish Agreement on 15 November 1985, the UK Government and Irish Government co-operated more closely on security and political matters.
Following theGood Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998, devolution returned to Northern Ireland on 2 December 1999. TheNorthern Ireland Executive was suspended on 15 October 2002 and direct rule returned until devolution was restored on 8 May 2007.
The devolution of policing and justice powers on 12 April 2010 transferred many of the NIO's previous responsibilities to theNorthern Ireland Assembly and its devolved government, theNorthern Ireland Executive. TheDepartment of Justice is now responsible for those matters. This transfer of power resulted in a smaller Northern Ireland Office, comparable to theScotland Office andWales Office.
The NIO ministers are as follows, with cabinet members in bold:[17][18]
| Minister | Portrait | Office | Portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rt Hon.Hilary BennMP |  | Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | Overall responsibility; Political stability and relations with the Northern Ireland Executive; National security and counter-terrorism; Implementation of the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements, including legacy of the past; Representing Northern Ireland in the Cabinet on EU exit, including new economic opportunities; International interest in Northern Ireland, including relations with the Irish government. |
| Vacant | Minister of State for Northern Ireland | Driving Economic and Domestic Policy; Long-term economic recovery from COVID-19; Promotion of the economy, levelling up and innovation - including City Deals and the Shared Prosperity Fund; Leading the department's work on the most critical constitution and rights issues in NI. Supporting the Secretary of State in his responsibilities, including: Legacy stakeholder engagement; Strengthening and sustaining the Union in Northern Ireland; Vital security casework; Building substantive relationships across sectors and communities; Leading workstreams on New Decade, New Approach Agreement; and the NI Protocol | |
| Matthew Patrick MP |  | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | Supporting the Secretary of State on legacy, New Decade, New Approach and Protocol. Reviewing planning for future political negotiations and developing plans to help achieve greater levels of Integrated Education in Northern Ireland. Leading the department’s work on Constitution and Rights such as abortion and ensuring women have access to services. Responsible for legislation and engagement in the House of Lords. Aiding political stability such as reviewing plans for the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Building substantive relationships across sectors and communities through engagement. |
AsAttorney General for England and Wales,The Lord Hermer PC KC isAdvocate General for Northern Ireland, advising theUK Government on Northern Ireland law.
The department is led by theSecretary of State for Northern Ireland.
The senior civil servant in the NIO is Julie Harrison, who was appointed in September 2023.
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