Departments Act (Northern Ireland) 2016
2016 CHAPTER 5
An Act to rename the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, the Department of Finance and Personnel, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, the Department for Regional Development and the Department for Social Development; to dissolve the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, the Department of the Environment and the Department for Employment and Learning; and for connected purposes.
[29th February 2016]

BE IT ENACTED by being passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly and assented to by Her Majesty as follows:

1 The Northern Ireland departments
(1) The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister is renamed the Executive Office.
(2) The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is renamed the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
(3) The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is renamed the Department for the Economy.
(4) The Department of Finance and Personnel is renamed the Department of Finance.
(5) The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety is renamed the Department of Health.
(6) The Department for Regional Development is renamed the Department for Infrastructure.
(7) The Department for Social Development is renamed the Department for Communities.
(8) The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is dissolved.
(9) The Department of the Environment is dissolved.
(10) The Department for Employment and Learning is dissolved.
(11) Accordingly, as from the coming into operation of this section, there shall be the departments set out in Schedule 1.
(12) The provisions of the Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 apply in relation to the departments set out in Schedule 1.
S. 1 in operation at 8.5.2016 by S.R. 2016/89, art. 2

2 Consequential repeals
The statutory provisions set out in Schedule 2 are repealed to the extent specified in the second column of that Schedule.
S. 2 in operation at 8.5.2016 by S.R. 2016/89, art. 2

3 Short title and commencement
(1) This Act may be cited as the Departments Act (Northern Ireland) 2016.
(2) Sections 1 and 2 and Schedules 1 and 2 come into operation on such day or days as the First Minister and deputy First Minister, acting jointly, may by order appoint.

SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 1 THE NORTHERN IRELAND DEPARTMENTS
Section 1(11).

The Executive Office
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
The Department for Communities
The Department for the Economy
The Department of Education
The Department of Finance
The Department of Health
The Department for Infrastructure
The Department of Justice
Sch. 1 in operation at 8.5.2016 by S.R. 2016/89, art. 2

SCHEDULE 2 REPEALS
Section 2.
Short Title	Extent of Repeal
The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (NI 1)	In Article 3— (a) in paragraph (1), sub-paragraphs (b) and (c); (b) paragraphs (8) and (9).
	Schedule 1.
The Department for Employment and Learning Act (Northern Ireland) 2001 (c. 15)	The whole Act.
The Department of Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 (c. 3)	In section 1, subsection (3).
Sch. 2 in operation at 8.5.2016 by S.R. 2016/89, art. 2