The Agreements Flashcards
1
Q
What were the 6 agreements
A
- Good Friday agreement 1998
- St Andrews agreement 2006
- Hillsborough agreement 2010
- Stormont house agreement 2014
- Fresh Start agreement 2015
- New Decade New Approach 2020
2
Q
What was the context of the Good Friday agreement
A
- UK prorogued the storment government on March 24th 1972 due to civil rights movement results in 1960s 1970s
- intended as temporary solution allowing breathing space to create solution on civil rights
- unionists outraged by this
- led to democratic deficit
- absence of accountability
3
Q
How and when was GFA signed
A
- negotiated by political parties of NI
- officially known as Belfast agreement signed on April 10th 1998
- agreement co-guaranteed by British and Irish governments
- US Clinton administration also supported process sending senator George Mitchell to chair negotiations
- EU also supported deal
4
Q
How is GFA split up
A
- Strand one: Internal relations and institutions
- Strand two: North south institutions
- Strand three: East West institutions
5
Q
How did they attempt to introduce consociationalism
A
- power sharing: Executive Committee originally composed of 12 members but reduced in 2014. Relation between executive and assembly also power sharing
- proportionality guaranteed by PRstv and D’Hond allocation system
- equality commission and new equality laws. Right to self determination
- weighted majority or parallel consent for key decisions mutual veto of NSMC and within Executive Committee
6
Q
How does strand one create the assembly in NI
A
- originally 108 MLAs elected 6 per constituency (reduced to five each 90 in total)
- assembly would have prime legislative and executive authority
- 3 main functions: Legislation, Representation, Scrutiny
7
Q
How does strand one affect the executive of NI
A
- authority lies with Executive Committee
- originally 10 departments reduced to 8
- FM and dFM designated to be co-equal
- FM/dFM support office since 2016 is executive building
- ministers take initiative in area of responsibility
- absence of collective responsibility and ministerial ‘solo runs’
8
Q
What is strand 2
A
- North-South Ministerial Council
- ensure cooperation on matters of mutual interest
- permanent HQ in Armagh City
- meet in debate, sectoral and ministerial formats
9
Q
What is strand 3
A
- British-Irish council
- British-Irish intergovernmental conference
- Totality of relationships
- reassure Unionists no united Ireland with consent of electorate
10
Q
What was the context to the St Andrews agreement
A
- Stormontgate led to suspensions of institutions in 2002 no returning until 2007
- 2003 election led to Sinn Féin and the DUP becoming the largest parties (polarization)
- 2006 renegotiations start to make changes to allow stormont to work again
11
Q
What did the St Andrews agreement add to help give more power to the assembly
A
- petition of concern to prevent discrimination which sometimes failed to work
- 30 MLAs demand one Presiding officer (speaker) verifies if it’s a concern of important public matter
- executive must consider the issue within 7 days
12
Q
What other things did the St Andrews agreement add
A
- statuary ministerial code duty to act in accordance with the provisions of ministerial accountability
- if executive can’t come to consensus agreement 3 ministers can require it to be taken on a cross community basis
- pledge of office: ministers required to participate fully in executive, NSMC and BIC and observe joint nature of FM and dFfM offices
- FfM and dFM decided without cross community support
- can’t change designation for whole period of assembly term other than changing parties
13
Q
What other roles did St Andrews agreement try to complete
A
- Devolution of policing and justice powers
- Irish language legislation
- executive role in preparation of NSMC and BIC
14
Q
Why was the Hillsborough Agreement made and why
A
- 2010
- Delay in delivering policing and Justice
15
Q
How did Hillsborough agreement devolve policing and justice
A
- Dept of Justice established. Responsible for devolved justice policies. Justice minister chosen by executive and assembly
- Did not occur until 2011. David Ford (APNI) 1st Minister of Justice
16
Q
What other changes did the Hillsborough agreement have
A
- parading: local people provide locally agreed solutions
- code of conduct on parading: legally enforceable no sectarian harassment
- Financial settlement: £20 million pa until 2012 after £14 million pa
- executive functioning: working group to consider all proposed arrangements and recommendations as to how the executive can function better
17
Q
What was the context to the Stormont house agreement
A
- 2008 economic collapse led UK to need money
- New Conservative/Lib Dem coalition 2010 created WRB ‘bedroom tax’
- this as-well as failure to deliver on Irish language and differences on equality in marriage legislation led to problems in NI
- 2012 WRB needed parity legislation in NI negations took place in Stormont house to get over difficulties
- agreement reached in late 2014
18
Q
What changes did the Stormont house agreement make in terms of government
A
- reduction of MLA from 108 (6) to 90 (5)
- reduction of executive departments from 12 to 9
- devolution of corporation tax devolved to NI executive
- petition of concern threshold kept at 30 (harder to do)
19
Q
What other changes did the Stormont house agreement make
A
- settlement to decrease welfare provisions in NI by £114m
- improvements in efficiency of NI civil service
- commission on social issues decide how divisions impact delivery of goods, services etc.
- Legacy departments: oral history archive etc.
- Irish language: endorse need for respect and recognition of Irish Language after disrespect of language from DUP
20
Q
What were the terms of the Fresh Start Agreement
A
- Welfare returned to Westminster to get over impasse
- Corporation tax promised to be reduced to 12.5% by April 2018 hasn’t happened yet
- ending paramilitary
Community respect and mutual tolerance promoted - Support for those leaving paramilitary
- promotion of peaceful society
- financial support for power sharing institutions
- Official opposition in assembly
21
Q
Why was New Decade New Approach needed?
A
- 2007-2017 devolution worked for 10 years until 2016 RHI Scandal
- Transform health service (Pay disputed, waiting times and health and social care reforms)
- continued Austerity
- Transform public services ( resolution to teachers dispute, independent inquiry into education provisions)
- after 2017 executive collapsed
22
Q
What were the terms of the New Decade New Approach deal
A
- regionally balanced economy, infrastructure projects, tourism and sports facilities
- climate change strategy including caron emissions reductions
- tackle poverty, end sectarianism and end paramilitarism
- rebuild trust in government
- ministerial accountability to NI assembly
- petition of concern must include 2+ parties
