Northern Ireland Civil Service
Encyclopedia
The Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) is the permanent bureaucracy
of Crown 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 the HM Diplomatic Service
. The heads of these services are members of the Permanent Secretaries Management Group.
and the first devolved Parliament of Northern Ireland
took office on 7 June 1921. The departments of the Northern Ireland Government
were initially:
An additional Ministry of Health and Local Govenment
was formed in 1944, in preparation for 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 Ministry of Development
.
was dissolved on 30 March 1972, when direct rule 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 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 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:
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 the return of direct rule. Devolution was restored on 8 May 2007 and has continued without interruption since then.
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:
The number of departments increased to 11 (and ministers to 12) when the Department of Justice
was created on 12 April 2010. The Northern Ireland Office
continues in operation, representing the interests of the United Kingdom Government in Northern Ireland.
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.
and other selected permanent secretaries and directors general.
Grades from Administrative Assistant upwards have comparative/analogous grading on Professional and Technical scales and also Scientific scales. The EO1 grade being equivalent to Professional and Technical Officer and Scientific Officer.
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
of Crown employees that supports the Northern Ireland Executive
Northern Ireland Executive
The Northern Ireland Executive is the executive arm of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved legislature for Northern Ireland. It is answerable to the Assembly and was established according to the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which followed the Good Friday Agreement...
, 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 the HM Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom, dealing with foreign affairs, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which deals with domestic affairs...
. The heads of these services are members of the Permanent Secretaries Management Group.
1921-1972
Northern Ireland was established by the Government of Ireland Act 1920Government of Ireland Act 1920
The Government of Ireland Act 1920 was the Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which partitioned Ireland. The Act's long title was "An Act to provide for the better government of Ireland"; it is also known as the Fourth Home Rule Bill or as the Fourth Home Rule Act.The Act was intended...
and the first devolved Parliament of Northern Ireland
Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...
took office on 7 June 1921. The departments of the Northern Ireland Government
Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland
The Executive Committee or the Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland was the government of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Generally known as either the Cabinet or the Government, the Executive Committee existed from 1922 to 1972...
were initially:
- Department of the Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Northern IrelandThe Prime Minister of Northern Ireland was the de facto head of the Government of Northern Ireland. No such office was provided for in the Government of Ireland Act 1920. However the Lord Lieutenant, as with Governors-General in other Westminster Systems such as in Canada, chose to appoint someone...
- Ministry of Agriculture
- Ministry of Commerce
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of Finance
- Ministry of Home Affairs
- Ministry of Labour
An additional Ministry of Health and Local Govenment
Minister of Health and Local Government
The Minister of Health and Local Government was a member of the Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland in the Parliament of Northern Ireland which governed Northern Ireland from 1922 to 1972. The post was created in 1944 and was renamed Minister of Health and Social Services...
was formed in 1944, in preparation for the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
and other aspects of the welfare state. In 1965, that department was split between the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the Ministry of Development
Minister of Development (Northern Ireland)
Minister of Development was a Cabinet ministry in the Parliament of Northern Ireland which governed Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1972. The position was established in 1965 to mirror the United Kingdom Department of the Environment.-References:*...
.
1972-1999
The Parliament of Northern IrelandParliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...
was dissolved on 30 March 1972, when direct rule was imposed by the United Kingdom Government. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
assumed responsibility for government and was assisted by a new Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
. The NIO absorbed the Ministry of Home Affairs and took direct responsibility for security, justice and constitutional policy.
Following the Sunningdale Agreement
Sunningdale Agreement
The Sunningdale Agreement was an attempt to establish a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive and a cross-border Council of Ireland. The Agreement was signed at the Civil Service College in Sunningdale Park located in Sunningdale, Berkshire, on 9 December 1973.Unionist opposition, violence and...
, a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive
Northern Ireland Executive (1974)
After the Northern Ireland Assembly elections of 1973, negotiations between the pro-agreement parties on the formation of a "power-sharing Executive" began. The most contentious issues were internment, policing and the question of a Council of Ireland....
briefly held office between 1 January 1974 and 28 May 1974. The following departments were accountable to the Executive:
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Education
- Department of the Environment
- Department of Finance
- Department of Health and Social Services
- Department of Housing, Local Government and Planning
- Office of Law Reform
The Executive collapsed due to the loyalist Ulster Workers' Council Strike
Ulster Workers' Council Strike
The Ulster Workers' Council strike was a general strike that took place in Northern Ireland between 15 May and 28 May 1974, during "The Troubles". The strike was called by loyalists and unionists who were against the Sunningdale Agreement, which had been signed in December 1973...
and direct rule resumed. The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
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
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
. UK Governments alternated between the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
parties, neither of which included Members of Parliament from Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Civil Service, uniquely in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
and Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, was not accountable to locally elected political representatives during this time.
From 1982 to 1999, there were six departments:
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Economic Development
- Department of Education
- Department of the Environment
- Department of Finance and Personnel
- Department of Health and Social Services
1999 onwards
The Good Friday Agreement (April 1998) led to the formation of the Northern Ireland ExecutiveNorthern Ireland Executive
The Northern Ireland Executive is the executive arm of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved legislature for Northern Ireland. It is answerable to the Assembly and was established according to the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which followed the Good Friday Agreement...
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 the return of direct rule. Devolution was restored on 8 May 2007 and has continued without interruption since then.
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:
- Office of the First Minister and deputy First MinisterOffice of the First Minister and deputy First MinisterThe Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive with overall responsibility for the running of the Executive...
(two ministers acting jointly) - Department of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentDepartment of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentThe Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
- Department of Culture, Arts and LeisureDepartment of Culture, Arts and LeisureThe Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is a devolved Northern Irish government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
- Department of EducationDepartment of Education (Northern Ireland)The Department of Education is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
- Department of Enterprise, Trade and InvestmentDepartment of Enterprise, Trade and InvestmentThe Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
- Department of the EnvironmentDepartment of the Environment (Northern Ireland)The Department of the Environment 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 Environment.-Aim:...
- Department of Finance and PersonnelDepartment of Finance and PersonnelThe Department of Finance and Personnel is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
- Department of Health, Social Services and Public SafetyDepartment of Health, Social Services and Public SafetyThe Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
- Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment (later renamed Department for Employment and LearningDepartment for Employment and LearningThe Department for Employment and Learning , formerly the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment , is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
) - Department for Regional DevelopmentDepartment for Regional DevelopmentThe Department for Regional Development is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
- Department for Social DevelopmentDepartment for Social DevelopmentThe Department for Social Development is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for Social Development.-Aim:...
The number of departments increased to 11 (and ministers to 12) when the Department of Justice
Department of Justice (Northern Ireland)
The Department of Justice is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The current Minister of Justice is David Ford, who is a member of the Northern Ireland Executive...
was created on 12 April 2010. The Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
continues in operation, representing the interests of the United Kingdom Government in Northern Ireland.
Composition
As of June 2011, the Northern Ireland Civil Service employed 26,889 staff (out of a total public sector employment of 218,577). The breakdown by department was as follows:| Department | Employment |
|---|---|
| Office of the First and Deputy First Minister | 384 |
| Department of Agriculture and Rural Development | 3,842 |
| Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure | 274 |
| Department of Education | 613 |
| Department for Employment and Learning | 2,109 |
| Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment | 583 |
| Department of the Environment | 2,683 |
| Department of Finance and Personnel | 3,589 |
| Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety | 732 |
| Department of Justice | 1,633 |
| Department for Regional Development | 2,413 |
| Department for Social Development | 7,458 |
| Public Prosecution Service (non-ministerial) | 576 |
| Northern Ireland Civil Service | 26,889 |
Other major public sector employers included National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
trusts (68,263), schools, colleges and education and library boards (65,514), local government
Local government in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is divided into 26 districts for local government purposes. In Northern Ireland local councils do not carry out the same range of functions as those in the rest of the United Kingdom, for example they have no responsibility for education, for road building or for housing...
(12,134) and the Police Service of Northern Ireland
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
(10,542). The public sector constituted 31.3% of the region's workforce.
Permanent Secretaries Management Group (PSMG)
The PSMG is in charge of both the Northern Ireland Civil Service and Her Majesty's Civil Service. The group is chaired by Head of the Home Civil Service, the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service and the Head of the Diplomatic Service. The group also consists of all first permanent secretariesPermanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
and other selected permanent secretaries and directors general.
Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland
The Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland are not civil servants and are independent of the Executive. Their main functions are the same as the Civil Service Commissioners of Her Majesty's Home Civil Service.Organisation
The Northern Ireland Civil Service is staffed by "officers" at the grades listed below- Support Band Grade 2 - job roles involve mainly manual handling or routine security tasks
- Support Band Grade 1 - job roles involve mainly manual handling or routine security tasks
- Administrative Assistant - generally but not exclusively a clerical role
- Administrative Officer - again a mainly clerical role but with more authority, normally in the guise of financial responsibilities
- Executive Officer Grade I & II - the lowest level of the NICS to which management duties are entrusted.
- Staff Officer - Staff Officers in the NICS are usually regarded as middle management but are also entrusted with project management responsibilities, area management and programme delivery.
- Deputy Principal - acts as an intermediatary grade between SO and Grade 7
- Grade 7 - The highest grade within the Northern Ireland Civil Service. Civil Servants above this grade are not regarded as part of the NICS. Grade
Grades from Administrative Assistant upwards have comparative/analogous grading on Professional and Technical scales and also Scientific scales. The EO1 grade being equivalent to Professional and Technical Officer and Scientific Officer.