The Northern Ireland Assembly: Overview

• The Northern Ireland Assembly is a unicameral devolved legislature located in Stormont, Belfast.
• It oversees matters specific to Northern Ireland and forms part of the devolved government.
• Comprised of 90 members, locally known as Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).
• MLAs are elected through a proportional representation system called Single Transferable Vote (STV).

Establishment and Structure

• The Assembly was established as part of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, an agreement designed to bring end to the conflict in Northern Ireland known as ‘The Troubles’.
• The Assembly has the power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the UK Parliament.
• The Executive, consisting of a First Minister and deputy First Minister, as well as various other ministers, are responsible for government functions devolved to Northern Ireland.

Functioning and Responsibilities

• Most notably, the Assembly can make decisions on health, education, housing, agriculture, welfare, and culture.
• Building cooperation between different political convictions within Northern Ireland is a key responsibility of the Assembly.
• Responsible for scrutinising the work of the Northern Ireland Executive through questioning ministers, debating issues and examining draft legislation.

Power-Sharing

• Power-sharing among the majority of unionist and nationalist parties is a notable feature of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
• It’s significant to the peace process that both communities (Unionist and Nationalist) are involved in governing Northern Ireland.
• Majority rules in the Assembly, but there are provisions to protect minority rights.
• Cross-community decision-making - certain key decisions require the majority support of both unionist and nationalist MLAs.

Suspensions and Dissolutions

• Assembly was suspended multiple times due to political disagreements, with the longest suspension lasting from 2002 to 2007.
• In cases of political deadlock, devolved powers can be returned to the UK government, the most recent period of this occurring from 2017 to 2020.
• The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland can suspend or dissolve the Assembly.

Key Developments and Crises

• The Assembly has been marked by periods of crisis and reform, including the St Andrews Agreement (2006) and the Fresh Start Agreement (2015).
• Several crises, such as the RHI Scandal, led to the collapse of the government and prolonged periods without a devolved Assembly.

Remember, a comprehensive understanding of the formation, operations, and significance of the Northern Ireland Assembly is critical in understanding the politics of Northern Ireland.