First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland | |
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Irish: Príomh-Aire agus Leas-Príomh-Aire Thuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: First Meinister an First Meinister depute o Norlin Airlann | |
![]() Logo of the Executive Office | |
since 3 February 2024 | |
Northern Ireland Executive Executive Office | |
Member of | Northern Ireland Assembly Northern Ireland Executive British–Irish Council PM and Heads of Devolved Governments Council |
Nominator | Largest political party in each of the two largest community designations within the Northern Ireland Assembly |
Term length | At His Majesty's Pleasure |
Precursor |
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Inaugural holder | |
Formation | 1 July 1998 |
Salary | |
Website | www |
The First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland are the joint heads of government of Northern Ireland, leading the Northern Ireland Executive and with overall responsibility for the running of the Executive Office. Despite the titles of the two offices, the two positions have the same governmental power, resulting in a duumvirate; the deputy First Minister, customarily spelled with a lowercase d, is not subordinate to the First Minister. Created under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, both were initially nominated and appointed by members of the Northern Ireland Assembly on a joint ticket by a cross-community vote, under consociational principles. That process was changed following the 2006 St Andrews Agreement, such that the First Minister now is nominated by the largest party overall, and the deputy First Minister is nominated by the largest party from the next largest community block (understood to mean "Unionist", "Nationalist", or "Other").[2]
On 17 June 2021, despite a letter from the Democratic Unionist Party chairman and other senior party members,[3] DUP leader Edwin Poots nominated Paul Givan as First Minister and Sinn Féin re-nominated Michelle O'Neill as deputy First Minister.[3] On 4 February 2022, Givan resigned as First Minister, which led to O'Neill automatically ceasing to hold office as deputy First Minister.[4] The offices remained vacant until the appointment of O'Neill as First Minister, the first Irish nationalist to be appointed to the position,[5] and DUP's Emma Little-Pengelly as deputy First Minister, on 3 February 2024.[6]