Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Northern Ireland

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The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS, Irish: An Roinn Sláinte, Seirbhísí Sóisialta agus Sábháilteachta Poiblí, Ulster Scots: Männystrie o Poustie, Resydènter Heisin an Fowk Siccar or Depairtment o Halth, Social Sairins an Public Sauftie^[1]) is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

Aim

DHSSPS’ overall aim and mission is to “improve the health and social well-being of the people of Northern Ireland.” ^[2]

The incumbent Minister is Edwin Poots (Democratic Unionist Party).^[3]

Responsibilities

The Minister, assisted by the department, makes policy and legislation in three broad areas:

• health and social care - hospitals, family practitioner services and community health and personal social services;
• public health - promoting and protecting the health and well-being of the population; and
• public safety - the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (but not the Police Service of Northern Ireland or HM Coastguard).

Some sensitive health policy issues are reserved to Westminster and are therefore not devolved: ^[4]

• xenotransplantation
• surrogacy
• human fertilisation and embryology
• human genetics

In Northern Ireland, abortion law is a criminal justice matter and is devolved. ^[5]

DHSSPS' main counterparts in the United Kingdom Government are:

• the Department of Health; ^[6]
• the Department for Communities and Local Government (on fire services). ^[7]

In the Irish Government, its main counterpart is:

• the Department of Health; ^[8]
• the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (on fire services). ^[9]

Health and Social Care organisations

The Health and Social Care system in Northern Ireland consists of the following public bodies:

Northern Ireland-wide

• Health and Social Care Board
• Northern Ireland Ambulance Trust
• Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service
• Business Services Organisation
• Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service
• Public Health Agency
• Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority

Sub-regional health and social care trusts

• Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
• Northern Health and Social Care Trust
• South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
• Southern Health and Social Care Trust
• Western Health and Social Care Trust

History

Following a referendum on the Belfast Agreement on 23 May 1998 and the granting of Royal Assent to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on 19 November 1998, a Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive were established by the United Kingdom government under Prime Minister Tony Blair. The process was known as devolution and was set up to return devolved legislative powers to Northern Ireland. DHSSPS is one of 11 devolved Northern Ireland departments created in December 1999 by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.

A devolved minister first took office on 2 December 1999. Devolution was suspended for four periods, during which the department came under the responsibility of direct rule ministers from the Northern Ireland Office:

• between 12 February 2000 ^[10] and 30 May 2000^[11];
• on 11 August 2001 ^[12][13];
• on 22 September 2001 ^[14][15];
• between 15 October 2002^[16] and 8 May 2007^[17].

Since 8 May 2007, devolution has operated without interruption.

Ministers of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

	Minister	Party	Took office	Left office
	Bairbre de Brún	Sinn Féin	2 December 1999	11 February 2000
Office suspended
	Bairbre de Brún	Sinn Féin	30 May 2000	14 October 2002[18]
Office suspended
	Michael McGimpsey	Ulster Unionist	8 May 2007	5 May 2011
	Edwin Poots	Democratic Unionist	16 May 2011

Direct rule ministers

During the periods of suspension, the following ministers of the Northern Ireland Office were responsible for the department:

• George Howarth (2000)
• Des Browne (2002-03)
• Angela Smith (2003-05)
• Shaun Woodward (2005-06)
• Paul Goggins (2006-07)

See also

• Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety

References

1. ^ North-South Ministerial Council: 2010 Annual Report in Ulster Scots
2. ^ Northern Ireland Budget 2011-15, page 70
3. ^ http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/index/work-of-the-executive/ministers-and-their-departments.htm Northern Ireland Executive
4. ^ Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 3
5. ^ House of Commons, Written answers and statements, 13 July 2009
6. ^ DH: About the Department of Health
7. ^ Communities and Local Government: Fire and resilience
8. ^ Department of Health: About the Department
9. ^ Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire and Emergency Services
10. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Commencement) Order 2000
11. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2000
12. ^ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2001
13. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2001
14. ^ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001
15. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001
16. ^ Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2002
17. ^ Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2007
18. ^ Office suspended for 24 hours on 11 August 2001 and 22 September 2001

External links

• DHSSPS
• The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999PDF (37.0 KB)