Political
Q. On what date was The Agreement signed?
The Agreement, also known as the Good Friday Agreement or the Belfast Agreement, was signed on April 10, 1998.
Q. What are the three strands of the Agreement?
Strand 1 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 2 deals with North-South arrangements and the creation of a North/South Ministerial Council.
Strand 3 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 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. How many times has the Assembly been suspended?
The Assembly, which has 108 MLAs, has been suspended on four occasions. It was first suspended by Secretary of State Peter Mandelson MP in February 2000 and restored three months later in May.
It was again suspended for 24 hours in August and again in September 2001 before John Reid suspended the Northern Ireland Assembly in October 2002. The Assembly was then restored on 8 May 2007.
