It described its mission as delivering economic growth and enhancing the quality of life in Northern Ireland by "unlocking the full potential of the culture, arts and leisure sectors.

[6] The department had the following main responsibilities: Broadcasting, intellectual property and the administration of the National Lottery are reserved to Westminster and are therefore not devolved.

Devolution was suspended for four periods, during which the department came under the responsibility of direct rule ministers from the Northern Ireland Office: Under the St Andrews Agreement (signed 13 October 2006), the Executive is obliged to adopt strategies on enhancing and protecting the development of the Irish language and enhancing and developing Ulster Scots language, heritage and culture.

[23][24] The agreement also committed the United Kingdom Government to introducing "an Irish Language Act reflecting on the experience of Wales and Ireland".

The department stated that a Strategy for Indigenous or Regional Minority Languages would "be presented to the Executive in due course".