The Department for Infrastructure (DfI, ; ) is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive.
Up until May 2016, the department was called the Department for Regional Development.
Aim DfI's overall aim is to "improve quality of life by securing transport and water infrastructure and shaping the region's long-term strategic development".Northern Ireland Budget 2011–15, page 91
Responsibilities The department's main responsibilities include regional strategic planning and development; transport strategy and sustainable transport; public roads; public transport; air and sea ports; water and sewerage services; Driver licensing and Vehicle Testing.
Two transport matters are reserved to Westminster and are therefore not devolved:
navigation (including merchant shipping) civil aviation
DfI's main counterparts in the United Kingdom Government are: the Department for Transport; the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (on water);Defra: Water the Department for Communities and Local Government (on planning).
In the Irish Government, its main counterparts are: the Department of Transport;Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: About Us the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (on water and planning).
Agencies DfI Roads: Responsible for ensuring that measures are taken to implement the roads aspects of the Regional Transportation Strategy for Northern Ireland 2002–12 and that the public road network is managed, maintained and developed. DFI Roads is responsible for just over 25,000 kilometres of public roads, approximately 9,000 kilometres of footways, 5,800 bridges, 257,700 streetlights and 370 public car parks. Driver and Vehicle Agency: Responsible for vehicle MOT testing, driver testing and driver licensing, including licensing for taxi drivers. DfI Rivers
History The Ministry of Home Affairs was established on the formation of Northern Ireland in June 1921 and was responsible for a range of non-economic domestic matters, including local government. A separate Ministry of Health and Local Government was formed in 1944 and was subsequently split in 1965, to create the Ministry of Development. An environment ministry existed in the 1974 Northern Ireland Executive and the ministry was known as the Department of the Environment under direct rule.
The DoE is still a phrase used in everyday language in Northern Ireland to describe DFI Roads, which was once run by the department but is currently an agency of the Department for Infrastructure.
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. DRD was one of five new 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 six periods, during which the department came under the responsibility of direct rule ministers from the Northern Ireland Office: between 12 February 2000Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Commencement) Order 2000 and 30 May 2000;Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2000 on 11 August 2001;Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2001Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2001 on 22 September 2001;Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001 between 15 October 2002Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2002 and 8 May 2007.Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2007 between 26 January 2017 and 11 January 2020 between 27 October 2022 and 3 February 2024
Ministers for Infrastructure MinisterImagePartyTook officeLeft office Peter Robinson 29 November 1999 11 February 2000 Office suspended Peter Robinson 30 May 2000 26 July 2000 Gregory Campbell 27 July 200018 October 2001Office suspended for 24 hours on 11 August 2001 and 22 September 2001 Peter Robinson 25 October 200111 October 2002 Office suspended Conor Murphy 14 May 2007 4 May 2011 Danny Kennedy 16 May 2011 2 September 2015 Michelle McIlveen 21 September 2015 30 March 2016Resigned on 21 September 2015, re-entered office on 23 Sept. till 24 Sept., then 30 Sept.-1 Oct. 2015. Following the 20 October she permanently occupies the office Office renamed Minister for Infrastructure Chris Hazzard 25 May 2016 26 January 2017 Office suspended Nichola Mallon 11 January 2020 5 May 2022 John O'Dowd 16 May 2022 27 October 2022 Office suspended John O'Dowd 3 February 2024 3 February 2025 Liz Kimmins3 February 2025Incumbent
Direct rule ministers During the periods of suspension, the following ministers of the Northern Ireland Office were responsible for the department:
Adam Ingram (2000) Angela Smith (2002–03) John Spellar (2003–05) Shaun Woodward (2005–06) David Cairns (2006–07)
See also Committee for Infrastructure
References
Notes
External links DRD
Traffic Watch Northern Ireland