Department for the Economy

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The Department for the Economy (DfE, Template:Langx[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 Economy.

DfE was renamed in 2016; it was previously called the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

Aim

DfE's overall aim is to "promote the development of a globally competitive economy." Its stated objective is to "encourage the development of a high value added, innovative, enterprising and competitive economy, leading to greater wealth creation and job opportunities for all."[2]

Responsibilities

The department is responsible for the following policy areas:[3]

  • company registration (prior to commencement of the Companies Act 2006 on 1 October 2009)[4]
  • consumer affairs
  • economic policy development
  • energy
  • employment law matters
  • health and safety at work
  • insolvency
  • mineral development
  • tourism

Some economic matters are reserved to Westminster and are therefore not devolved: [5]

In addition, some matters are excepted and were not intended for devolution:[6]

DfE's main counterparts in the United Kingdom Government are:

In the Irish Government, its main counterparts are:

Agencies

DfE has four agencies, established as non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), to assist in strategy implementation:

  • Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI), which supports business growth and inward investment, promotes innovation, research and development and in-company training, encourages exports and supports local economic development and company start up;
  • the Tourism Northern Ireland (Tourism NI), which is responsible for the development, promotion and marketing of Northern Ireland as a tourist destination;
  • the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), which is responsible for health, safety and welfare at work; and
  • the General Consumer Council for Northern Ireland (GCCNI), which is responsible for promoting and safeguarding the interests of consumers and campaigning for the best possible standards of service and protection.

History

A Ministry of Commerce was established at the foundation of Northern Ireland in June 1921, and was subsequently known as the Department of Commerce and Department of Economic Development under direct rule (introduced in March 1972). An economic ministry was also included in the Northern Ireland Executive briefly established in 1974.

The Department of Economic Development also incorporated elements of training and employment policy, now held by the Department for Employment and Learning.

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 Department of Economic Development was renamed as the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and granted a reduced remit. DETI was therefore one of the six direct rule Northern Ireland departments that continued in existence after devolution in December 1999, following the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.

A devolved minister 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:

Since 8 May 2007, devolution has operated without interruption. The Independent Review of Economic Policy, which reported in September 2009, recommended a single economic policy department within the Northern Ireland Executive, which would merge DETI and at least part of the Department for Employment and Learning.[18]

On 11 January 2012, the First Minister and deputy First Minister, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness announced their intentions to abolish the Department for Employment and Learning.[19] The department's functions would be "divided principally" between the Department of Education and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment "in an agreed manner". The proposal was resisted by the Alliance Party,[20] which viewed it as "power grab" by the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, but was approved on 18 January 2012.[21] No timescale for the abolition was outlined and the department remained in operation, as of late March 2012.

DETI was heavily criticised by the Northern Ireland Audit Office for its mismanagement of a broadband scheme starting in 2004 and carried out by Bytel Networks, which saw Bytel receive over a million euros in a European Union grant for equipment that was never used. DETI subsequently sued Bytel in an attempt to reclaim more than four million euros.[22]

In 2016, the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal came to light which was a botched scheme that was run by DETI, now Department for the Economy. The minister in charge at the time, Arlene Foster, faced pressure to resign as the scheme cost the NI Executive £400m over 20 years.

Ministers for the Economy

Minister Image Party Took office Left office
style="background:Template:Party color" |     Sir Reg Empey File:Official portrait of Lord Empey crop 2.jpg Template:Party shortname 29 November 1999 11 February 2000
Office suspended
style="background:Template:Party color" |     Sir Reg Empey File:Official portrait of Lord Empey crop 2.jpg Template:Party shortname 30 May 2000 14 October 2002[23]
Office suspended
style="background:Template:Party color" |     Nigel Dodds File:NigelDodds.jpg Template:Party shortname 14 May 2007 9 June 2008
style="background:Template:Party color" |     Arlene Foster File:MLA Arlene Foster.jpg Template:Party shortname 9 June 2008 11 May 2015
style="background:Template:Party color" |     Jonathan Bell File:JonathanBellDUP.jpg Template:Party shortname 11 May 2015 30 March 2016[note 1]
Office renamed Minister for the Economy
style="background:Template:Party color" |     Simon Hamilton File:SimonHamiltonDUP.jpg Template:Party shortname 25 May 2016 2 March 2017
Office suspended
style="background:Template:Party color" |     Diane Dodds File:Diane Dodds MEP, Strasbourg - Diliff.jpg Template:Party shortname 11 January 2020 13 June 2021
style="background:Template:Party color" |     Paul Frew File:Paul Frew.jpg Template:Party shortname 14 June 2021 6 July 2021
style="background:Template:Party color" |     Gordon Lyons File:Gordon Lyons 2021.jpg Template:Party shortname 6 July 2021 27 October 2022
Office suspended
style="background:Template:Party color" |     Conor Murphy File:SF Conor Murphy 2022 (cropped).jpg Template:Party shortname 3 February 2024 8 May 2024[24]
style="background:Template:Party color" |     Deirdre Hargey File:Deirdre Hargey.jpg Template:Party shortname 8 May 2024 28 May 2024
style="background:Template:Party color" |     Conor Murphy File:SF Conor Murphy 2022 (cropped).jpg Template:Party shortname 28 May 2024 3 February 2025
style="background:Template:Party color" | Caoimhe Archibald[25] File:Caoimhe Archibald 2022 (cropped).jpg Template:Party shortname 3 February 2025 Incumbent

Direct rule ministers

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

See also

References

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". (page 29)
  2. ↑ Northern Ireland Budget 2011–15, page 57
  3. ↑ http://www.detini.gov.uk Template:Webarchive DETI
  4. ↑ Companies Act 2006
  5. ↑ Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 3
  6. ↑ Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 2
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  10. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Commencement) Order 2000
  11. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2000
  12. ↑ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2001
  13. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2001
  14. ↑ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001
  15. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001
  16. ↑ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2002
  17. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2007
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Office suspended for 24 hours on 11 August 2001 and 22 September 2001
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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  1. ↑ Resigned on 10 September 2015, re-entered office on 16 Sept. till 17 Sept., then on the 23 Sept.-24 Sept, then 28 Sept.-29 Sept., then 30 Sept.-1 Oct. 2015. Following the 20 October he permanently occupies the office

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External links

  • DfE
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