Levels of Government
We have four levels of government: the European Parliament, the UK Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly and Local Councils. So who decides what?
The Northern Ireland Assembly was established under the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement in 1998. Devolution meant that a range of legislative powers transferred to the Assembly on Tuesday 2 December 1999. The transfer of powers ended Direct Rule by the UK Parliament.
The Assembly now has the power to legislate on a range of matters that affect the population of Northern Ireland. These are known as Transferred Matters. The Assembly also has responsibility for appointing the Executive Committee and scrutinising the work of Ministers and Departments.
Westminster retains certain legislative powers that are divided into Excepted and Reserved Matters.
As the United Kingdom is also a member state of the European Union, European Legislation affects Northern Ireland.
At a local level, Councils make decisions about service provision in areas like leisure centres and waste disposal.
Do you know which level of government decides on the different issues in your community? Think about the implications of devolution as you take a walk through our street scene to test what you know.
