Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Northern Ireland)

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Department overview
Formed June 1921 (as Ministry of Agriculture)
Preceding Department
Jurisdiction Northern Ireland
Headquarters Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 3SB
Employees 3,836 (September 2011)[1]
Annual budget £220.1 million (current) & £21.2 million (capital) for 2011–12[2]
Minister responsible
Website www.dardni.gov.uk
Northern Ireland
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The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) (Irish: An Roinn Talmhaíochta agus Forbartha Tuaithe; Ulster-Scots: Männystrie o Fairms an Kintra Fordèrin)[3] is a devolved Northern Irish government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Aim

DARD's official vision is of a "thriving and sustainable rural community and environment". It has five stated objectives: to help the agri-food industry prepare for future market opportunities and economic challenges; to promote the economic and social well-being and self-reliance of the rural community; to enhance animal, fish and plant health and welfare; to help deliver improved sustainable environmental outcomes; and to manage its business and deliver services to customers in a cost-effective way.[4]

The incumbent Minister is Michelle O'Neill (Sinn Féin).[5]

Responsibilities

DARD has responsibility for the following areas of policy:[6]

DARD's main counterpart in the United Kingdom Government is the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).[9] Its main counterpart in the Irish Government is the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.[10]

History

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

Under direct rule, the Department of Agriculture was responsible for inland waterways and inland fisheries (now held by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.

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 Agriculture was renamed as the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and granted a slightly reduced remit. DARD 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.

Ministers of Agriculture and Rural Development

MinisterImagePartyTook officeLeft office
    Bríd Rodgers SDLP 2 December 199911 February 2000
Office suspended
    Bríd Rodgers SDLP 30 May 200014 October 2002[19]
Office suspended
    Michelle Gildernew Sinn Féin 8 May 20075 May 2011
    Michelle O'Neill Sinn Féin 5 May 2011 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

  1. ↑ "Northern Ireland Quarterly Employment Survey Historical Data". Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  2. ↑ "Budget 2011–15" (PDF). Department of Finance and Personnel. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  3. ↑ Depairtment o Agricultur an Laundart Oncum is also used by the North-South Ministerial Council.
  4. ↑ Northern Ireland Budget 2011–15, page 36
  5. ↑ http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/index/work-of-the-executive/ministers-and-their-departments.htm Northern Ireland Executive
  6. ↑ http://www.dardni.gov.uk/index/about-dard/dard-responsibilities.htm Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
  7. ↑ Rivers Agency
  8. ↑ Forest Service
  9. ↑ About Defra
  10. ↑ Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: About us
  11. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Commencement) Order 2000
  12. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2000
  13. ↑ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2001
  14. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2001
  15. ↑ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001
  16. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001
  17. ↑ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2002
  18. ↑ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2007
  19. ↑ Office suspended for 24 hours on 11 August 2001 and 22 September 2001

External links

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