Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Department overview
Formed	December 1999
Preceding Department	Department of Agriculture
Jurisdiction	Northern Ireland
Headquarters	Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 3SB
Employees	3,836 (September 2011)
Annual budget	£220.1 million (current) & £21.2 million (capital) for 2011-12
Minister responsible	Michelle O'Neill
Website
www.dardni.gov.uk

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The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) (Irish: An Roinn Talmhaíochta agus Forbartha Tuaithe, Ulster Scots: Männystrie o Fairms an Kintra Fordèrin or Depairtment o Agricultur an Laundart Oncum) is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Aim

DARD’s official vision is of a “thriving and sustainable rural community and environment”. It has five stated objectives: to help the agri-food industry prepare for future market opportunities and economic challenges; to promote the economic and social well-being and self-reliance of the rural community; to enhance animal, fish and plant health and welfare; to help deliver improved sustainable environmental outcomes; and to manage its business and deliver services to customers in a cost-effective way.

The incumbent Minister is Michelle O'Neill (Sinn Féin).

Responsibilities

DARD has responsibility for the following areas of policy:

• agriculture
• rural development
• food
• agri-environmental policy
• sea fisheries
• flood risk management
• forestry
• animal health and welfare
• administration of Defra support schemes
• application of EU Common Agricultural Policy
• application of EU rural development policy

DARD’s main counterpart in the United Kingdom Government is the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) . Its main counterpart in the Irish Government is the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine .

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. DARD 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 and 30 May 2000;
• on 11 August 2001 ;
• on 22 September 2001 ;
• between 15 October 2002 and 8 May 2007.

Since 8 May 2007, devolution has operated without interruption.

Ministers of Agriculture and Rural Development

	Minister	Party	Took office	Left office
	Bríd Rodgers	SDLP	2 December 1999	11 February 2000
Office suspended
	Bríd Rodgers	SDLP	30 May 2000	14 October 2002
Office suspended
	Michelle Gildernew	Sinn Féin	8 May 2007	5 May 2011
	Michelle O'Neill	Sinn Féin	5 May 2011

Direct rule ministers

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

• ? (2000)
•  ? (2002-?)
• Lord Rooker (?-06)
• David Cairns (2006–07)

See also

• Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development
• Rivers Agency
• Floods directive

External links

• DARD
• Rivers Agency
• The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999PDF (37.0 KB)