| Department for Employment and Learning | |
|---|---|
| An Roinn Fostaíochta agus Foghlama; Ulster Scots: Depairtment for Employ an Learnin | |
| Department overview | |
| Formed | December 1999 (as Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment) |
| Preceding Department | Department of Economic Development & Department of Education |
| Jurisdiction | Northern Ireland |
| Headquarters | Adelaide House, 39-49 Adelaide Street, Belfast, BT2 8FD |
| Employees | 2,111 (September 2011) [1] |
| Annual budget | £787.3 million (current) & £41.2 million (capital) for 2011-12 [2] |
| Minister responsible | Stephen Farry, Minister for Employment and Learning |
| Website | |
| www.delni.gov.uk | |
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| This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Northern Ireland |
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| This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the United Kingdom |
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Foreign policy
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The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), (Irish: An Roinn Fostaíochta agus Foghlama;[3] Ulster Scots: Depairtment for Employ an Learnin),[4] is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for Employment and Learning. The department was initially known as the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment (DHFETE), between 1999 and 2001, and is due to be abolished within the current term of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Contents |
Aim [edit]
DEL’s overall aim is to “promote learning and skills, to prepare people for work and to support the economy”.[5] The incumbent Minister is Dr Stephen Farry (Alliance Party of Northern Ireland).[6]
Responsibilities [edit]
The department's network of 'job centres' and 'jobs and benefits offices' advertise job opportunities for Northern Ireland residents. It is also responsible for policy in the following areas:[7]
- further education
- higher education
- skills and training
- employment rights and responsibilities
The Department of Education is responsible for all other levels of education in Northern Ireland.[8] DEL’s main counterparts in the United Kingdom Government are:
- the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (including employment relations); and [9]
- the Department for Work and Pensions (on general employment policy).[10]
In the Irish Government, its main counterparts are:
- the Department of Education and Skills;[11]
- the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (on employment).[12]
History [edit]
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 process was known as devolution and was set up to return devolved legislative powers to Northern Ireland. DEL is one of five new devolved Northern Ireland departments created in December 1999 by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.
The department was named the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment until 20 July 2001 but was changed to its current title as the initials DHEFETE were pronounced as "Defeat".[13]
A devolved minister first 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:
- between 12 February 2000 [14] and 30 May 2000;[15]
- on 11 August 2001;[16][17]
- on 22 September 2001;[18][19]
- between 15 October 2002[20] and 8 May 2007.[21]
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 result in the abolition of DEL.[22]
On 11 January 2012, the First Minister and deputy First Minister, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness respectively, announced their intention to abolish the department.[23] 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,[24] which viewed it as "power grab" by the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, but was approved on 18 January 2012.[25] No timescale for the abolition was outlined and the department remained in operation, as of late March 2012.
Ministers for Employment and Learning [edit]
| Minister | IMage | Party | Took office | Left office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Farren |  |
SDLP | December 2, 1999 | February 11, 2000 | |
| Office suspended | |||||
| Sean Farren | |
SDLP | May 30, 2000 | December 14, 2001[26] | |
| Carmel Hanna | |
SDLP | December 14, 2001 | October 14, 2002 | |
| Office suspended | |||||
| Sir Reg Empey | |
Ulster Unionist | 8 May 2007 | 27 October 2010 | |
| Danny Kennedy |  |
Ulster Unionist | 27 October 2010 | 5 May 2011 | |
| Stephen Farry |  |
Alliance | 16 May 2011 | Incumbent | |
Direct rule ministers [edit]
During the periods of suspension, the following ministers of the Northern Ireland Office were responsible for the department:
- Adam Ingram (2000)
- Jane Kennedy (2002–04)
- Barry Gardiner (2004–05)
- Angela Smith (2005–06)
- Maria Eagle (2006–07)
See also [edit]
- Committee for Employment and Learning (Northern Ireland Assembly)
- List of government ministers in Northern Ireland
References [edit]
- ^ "Northern Ireland Quarterly Employment Survey Historical Data". Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "Budget 2011-15". Department of Finance and Personnel. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "Customer Service Standards 2007-2008" (in Irish). Department for Employment and Learning. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
- ^ "Customer Service Standards 2007-2008" (in Ulster Scots). Department for Employment and Learning. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
- ^ Northern Ireland Budget 2011-15, page 53
- ^ http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/index/work-of-the-executive/ministers-and-their-departments.htm Northern Ireland Executive
- ^ DEL: About the Department
- ^ About the Department of Education
- ^ BIS: About BIS
- ^ DWP: About DWP
- ^ Department of Education and Skills: Functions
- ^ Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: About the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
- ^ http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/northernireland/acts/acts2001/pdf/nia_20010015_en.pdf Department for Employment and Learning Act (Northern Ireland) 2001
- ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Commencement) Order 2000
- ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2000
- ^ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2001
- ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2001
- ^ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001
- ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001
- ^ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2002
- ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2007
- ^ "Independent Review of Economic Policy". Independent Review of Economic Policy (Northern Ireland). Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ "Justice 2012 - Stormont Castle proposals". Northern Ireland Executive. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ "Ford says cutting Department for Employment and Learning could damage economy". Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ "Justice 2012 - The Way Forward". Northern Ireland Executive. 18 January 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ Office suspended for 24 hours on 11 August 2001 and 22 September 2001
External links [edit]
- DEL
- The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 PDF (37.0 KB)
- Department for Employment and Learning Act (Northern Ireland) 2001 PDF (132.0 KB)
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