From this page you will be able to access Information Leaflets produced by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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Your Assembly - Working for You (pdf)
This leaflet describes the work of the Northern Ireland Assembly and is available in the following languages:
Cantonese (htm) | English (htm) | German (htm) | Irish (htm) | Lithuanian (htm) | Mandarin (htm) | Polish (htm) | Portuguese (htm) | Russian (htm) | Slovak (htm) | Ulster-Scots (htm)
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A plenary session (or “sitting”) is a meeting of the full Assembly, which normally takes place in the Assembly Chamber in Parliament Buildings.
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The Northern Ireland Act 1998, the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 and Assembly Standing Orders provide for the establishment of 3 types of committees in the Northern Ireland Assembly - Statutory Committees, Standing Committees and Ad hoc Committees.
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The Speaker is the Presiding Officer of the Northern Ireland Assembly. He chairs the Assembly Commission, which is responsible for ensuring the Assembly has the property, staff and services required to carry out its work.
The Speaker also chairs the Assembly Business Committee. This Committee is responsible for agreeing the business to be discussed on the floor of the House.
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The Northern Ireland Assembly has the power to make its own ‘primary legislation’, or law, within the areas devolved to it under the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (the Act).
Assembly Members make the law mainly through proposing, debating, amending and eventually approving a Public Bill. When fully approved by the Assembly and the Secretary of State, and given Royal Assent, Public Bills become Acts.
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The Office does exactly what its name suggests - it produces the Official Report of all sittings of the Northern Ireland Assembly, including details of debates, resolutions, questions, votes etc. A report is published after every sitting and is available to any member of the public.
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A Member of the Assembly can ask questions of a member of the Executive Committee, or of the Assembly Commission, which is the corporate body of the Assembly. Questions provide an opportunity for Members to hold Ministers to account and to enquire into matters relating to the work of each government department and the Assembly Commission.
There are three categories of question - Question for Oral Answer, Private Notice Question and Question for Written Answer.
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The Northern Ireland Assembly was established under the terms of the Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement) and was first elected on 25 June 1998. Legislative powers and executive authority for the Northern Ireland Government Departments were devolved to the Assembly from 2 December 1999.
The second election to the Assembly was held on 26 November 2003, although the Assembly had been suspended since 14 October 2002 and it remained suspended after this election. The Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 provided for a Transitional Assembly to take part in preparations for the restoration of devolved government, in accordance with the St Andrews Agreement.
This Transitional Assembly helped to create the conditions for a third Assembly election, which took place on 7 March 2007. Restoration took place on 8 May 2007.
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The general public can visit the Great Hall in Parliament Buildings Monday to Friday, from 9 am until 4 pm, subject to the business of the Assembly and the official tour programme. All visitors are asked to go through a security check on arrival. Entrance is free.
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How to get to Parliament Buildings (pdf)
This leaflet provides information on visiting the Northern Ireland Assembly including driving directions and information on getting here by public transport.
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Stormont Estate (pdf)
The Stormont Estate is a finely landscaped public park. With Parliament Buildings at its centre it is one of the most outstanding architectural sights in Ireland. Read more...
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The Great Hall (pdf)
The Great Hall is the most richly decorated part of Parliament Buildings. Read more...
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The Assembly Chamber (pdf)
The Assembly Chamber is probably the most recognisable room in Northern Ireland. Read more...
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The Senate Chamber (pdf)
Its features include Italian marble, genuine 1930s Irish damask linen on the wall panels and a particularly fine ceiling. Read more...
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History and Architecture (pdf)
Parliament Buildings, home of the Northern Ireland Assembly, is one of the best-known and most striking pieces of architecture in Northern Ireland. Read more...
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