Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T03:15:14.039Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Coalition Government in Northern Ireland: Social Policy and the Lowest Common Denominator Thesis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 December 2011

Ann Marie Gray  and
Derek Birrell
Ann Marie Gray
Affiliation:
School of Criminology, Politics and Social Policy, University of Ulster E-mail: am.gray@ulster.ac.uk
Derek Birrell
Affiliation:
School of Criminology, Politics and Social Policy, University of Ulster E-mail: am.gray@ulster.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In analysing governance and social policy in Northern Ireland in the period of devolution 1999–2002 Eithne McLaughlin described and predicted the dominance of a lowest common denominator approach to the formulation of social policies. This paper examines the period of restored devolution 2007–11 using this thesis. It identifies the trends in the development of social policies after 2007 and examines social policy-making by the government under five categories. Having established the reasons for this complex approach to social policy formulation, consideration is also given to the outcomes of the policy process.

Keywords

Devolutionpolicy-makingcoalition governanceNorthern Ireland
Type
Articles
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 11 , Issue 1 , January 2012 , pp. 15 - 25
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Attwood, A. (2011) ‘Time is running out to have your views heard on DLA reform’, press release issued by Northern Ireland Executive, 7 February 2011, http://www.northernIreland.gov.uk/index/media-centre/news-departments/news-dsd [accessed 08.02.2011].Google Scholar
Birrell, D. (2009a) The Impact of Devolution on Social Policy, Bristol: Policy Press.Google Scholar
Birrell, D. (2009b) Direct Rule and the Governance of Northern Ireland, Manchester: Manchester University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
British-Irish Council (2010) ‘Communique of summitt level meetings’, http://www.british-irishcouncil.org/documents/documention.asp [accessed 03.09.2010].Google Scholar
Department for Social Development (2009) ‘Household fuel payments to be made’, press release, Department for Social Development, Belfast, 3 April 2009.Google Scholar
Department of Education (2010) Early years (0–6) Strategy, Bangor: Department of Education.Google Scholar
Department of Finance and Personnel (2004) Fit for Purpose: The Reform Agenda in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Belfast: Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (2007) Reviewing the Effectiveness of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, Belfast: ECNI.Google Scholar
Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (2011) ‘The gaps between GB and NI Equality Law’, Briefing Note, ECNI, Belfast.Google Scholar
Gay, O. (2006) The Northern Ireland (St Andrew's Agreement) Bill, 2006–07, Research Paper 06/56, London: House of Common's Library.Google Scholar
Gray, A. M. and Carragher, L. (2007) ‘Possibilities: the views of lone parents on training and employment in Northern Ireland’, Occasional Paper Number 3, Gingerbread NI, Belfast.Google Scholar
Gray, A. M and Horgan, G. (2010) Welfare to Work in Northern Ireland, http://www.ark.ac.uk/pdfs/policybriefs/policybrief1.pdf [accessed 24.09.2010].Google Scholar
Great Britain (2010a) Equality Act 2010, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Great Britain (2010b) Child Poverty Act 2010, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Greer, S. (2004) Territorial Politics and Health Policy, Manchester: Manchester University Press.Google Scholar
Horgan, G. (2006) ‘Devolution, direct rule and neo-liberal reconstruction in Northern Ireland’, Critical Social Policy, 26, 656–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keating, M. (2002) Devolution: What Difference Has it Made? Interim Findings from the ESRC Programme on Devolution and Constitutional Change, http://www.devolution.ac.uk [accessed 24.09.2010].Google Scholar
Keating, M. (2003) ‘Social inclusion, devolution and policy making’, Political Quarterly, 74, 3, 429–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kennedy, S. and Townsend, I. (2009) Child Poverty Bill, Research Paper 09/62, London: House of Commons Library.Google Scholar
Knox, C. (2010) Devolution and the Governance of Northern Ireland, Manchester: Manchester University Press.Google Scholar
McLaughlin, E. (2005) ‘Governance and social policy in Northern Ireland (1999–2002): the devolution years and postscript’, in Powell, M., Bauld, L. and Clarke, J. (eds.), Social Policy Review 17, Analysis and Debate in Social Policy 2005, Bristol: The Policy Press, pp. 107–24.Google Scholar
McLaughlin, E. (2007) ‘From negative to positive equality duties: the development and constitutionalism of equality provisions in the UK’, Social Policy and Society, 6, 1, 111–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Northern Ireland (2009) Financial Assistance Act (NI) 2009, Belfast: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey Data on Political Attitudes (2007 and 2009) http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt [accessed 25.06.2010].Google Scholar
Northern Ireland Office (2006) Agreement at St. Andrews, Belfast: NIO.Google Scholar
Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) (2006a) Ten Year Strategy for Children and Young People, 2006–1016, Belfast: OFMDFM.Google Scholar
Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) (2006b) Gender Matters: A Gender Equality Strategy for Northern Ireland, Belfast: OFMDFM.Google Scholar
Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) (2010) Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration, Belfast: OFMDFM.Google Scholar
High, UNCommissioner for Human Rights (UN HCHR) (2008) Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, New York: Office of the UNHCHR.Google Scholar
Ritchie, M. (2009) Minister for Social Development's statement during 2nd stage debate on the Welfare Reform Bill (NIA 13/09), Tuesday 20 April 2010.Google Scholar
Wiggan, J. (2009) ‘Mapping the governance reform of welfare to work in Britain under New Labour’, International Journal of Public Administration, 32, 12, 1026–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilford, R. (2010) ‘Northern Ireland: the politics of constraint’, Parliamentary Affairs, 63, 1, 134–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilford, R. and Wilson, R. (2008) ‘Northern Ireland: devolution once again’, in Trench, A. (ed.), The State of the Nations 2008, Exeter: Imprint Academic.Google Scholar
Williams, C. and Mooney, G. (2008) ‘Decentring social policy? Devolution and the discipline of social policy: a commentary’, Journal of Social Policy, 37, 3, 489–507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, R. (2007) ‘Rhetoric meets reality: Northern Ireland's equality agenda’, Benefits, 15, 2, 151–62.Google Scholar