Nine new departments came into existence on Monday 9 May, taking on the responsibilities of the 12 former departments that previously made up the Northern Ireland Executive. The changes form part of the 'A fresh start for Northern Ireland' agreement.
While in some cases there is a direct link between the old and the new (DHSSPS was renamed the Department of Health, the former DEL and DETI merged to become the Department for Economy), there was some cross-over and switching of functions between the old and the new.
For instance, while OFMDFM was renamed as 'The Executive Office, they no longer have policy responsibility for older people and the Active Ageing Strategy - those functions have transferred to the new Department for Communities (DfC).
The chart below shows where these transfers have occured. Old departments are on the left, and the new departments on the right. Hover over each of the links to get a view of the functions that have been transferred.
You can find more information on who is in charge of the new departments.
| Acronym | Full name | New or Former Department |
|---|---|---|
| DAERA | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs | New |
| DARD | Department of Agriculture and Rural Development | Former |
| DSD | Department for Social Development | Former |
| DCAL | Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure | Former |
| DoE | Department of the Environment | Former |
| DETI | Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment | Former |
| DEL | Department of Employment and Learning | Former |
| OFMDFM | Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister | Former |
| DRD | Department for Regional Development | Former |
| DE | Department of Education | Former |
| DFP | Department of Finance and Personnel | Former |
| DHSSPS | Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety | Former |
| DoJ | Department of Justice | Former |