Political
Q. Where is the constitutional structure of Northern Ireland set out?
The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement of 1998 and the Northern Ireland Act 1998 continues to form the basis of the constitutional structure in Northern Ireland. The St Andrews Agreement of 2006 and the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 made a number of amendments to these structures.
Q. What is the Belfast Agreement?
The Agreement, also known as the Good Friday Agreement or the Belfast Agreement, was signed on April 10, 1998. The negotiations which led up to the Agreement had been divided into three 'strands' and the Agreement was structured accordingly.
Strand One deals with the internal arrangements for Northern Ireland and the creation of a democratically elected Assembly, with 108 MLAs elected from the existing 18 Westminster constituencies.
Strand Two deals with the internal arrangements and the creation of a North/South Ministerial Council.
Strand Three deals with East-West arrangements and the creation of a British-Irish Council (BIC) and the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC)
The BIC brings together representatives of the British and Irish Governments, members of the devolved institutions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (when not suspended) and representatives from the Isle of Man and Channel Islands.
The BIIGC brings together the British and Irish Governments to promote bilateral co-operation on matters of mutual interest.
Q. Was there a referendum on The Belfast Agreement?
Yes, on May 22, 1998, referenda were held in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on the Agreement. In Northern Ireland, 71.12% voted in favour of the Agreement, while 94.4% of voters in the Republic voted yes.
Q. What is the St Andrews Agreement?
The St Andrews Agreement provided for the restoration of the political institutions in Northern Ireland. The devolved institutions had been suspended since October 2002. The Agreement was concluded following intensive discussions at St Andrews in October 2006 and devolution was subsequently restored on 8 May 2007.