Northern Ireland Civil Service

The Parliament of Northern Ireland was dissolved on 30 March 1972, when direct rule was imposed by the United Kingdom Government.

The NIO absorbed the Ministry of Home Affairs and took direct responsibility for security, justice and constitutional policy.

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 the British Isles and Western Europe, was not accountable to locally elected political representatives during this time.

The Executive was suspended several times due to political disputes (notably from October 2002 to May 2007) and each suspension resulted in the return of direct rule.

[7] Devolution resulted in an increase in the number of Civil Service departments, accountable to a cross-community Executive of 11 ministers.

Following the Fresh Start Agreement (November 2015),[9] the parties of Northern Ireland agreed that the number of Executive departments should be reduced.

Each department is currently led by 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.