Minister (government)

A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. Some ministers are more senior than others, and are usually members of the government's cabinet. In some countries the head of government is designated the "prime minister". A government minister with responsibility for religion, such as the Israeli Minister of Religious Services, may be a layperson or cleric but the title should not be confused with the religious position of "Minister (Christianity)" or the activity of Christian ministry.

Etymology

In some countries and territories, including Hong Kong, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States, holders of some posts equivalent to ministries are called secretaries of state, sometimes referred to simply as secretaries (e.g., the Home Secretary).

The term "minister" is also used in diplomacy with the quite different meaning of second-level diplomats (heads of legations). The term minister comes from Middle English, deriving from the Old French word ministre, originally minister in Latin, meaning "servant, attendant", which itself was derived from the word 'minus' meaning "less".

Junior Minister (Northern Ireland)

The term Junior Minister, in Northern Ireland, is the name given to two positions in the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (OFMDFM).

The incumbent junior ministers are Emma Pengelly (Democratic Unionist Party) and Jennifer McCann (Sinn Féin).

Under the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the First Minister and deputy First Minister acting jointly may determine that a number of members of the Northern Ireland Assembly shall be appointed as junior ministers.

The salary of each junior minister in 2007–2008 (when devolution was restored) was £60,067.42, which increased to the current level of £62,709.96 in 2008–2009.

The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) called for the immediate abolition of the junior minister positions in its 2011 Northern Ireland Assembly election manifesto.

Junior Ministers

Nominated by the First Minister

Nominated by the deputy First Minister

Assembly Private Secretary

Following the 2011 Northern Ireland Assembly election, First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness announced the creation of the new post of Assembly Private Secretary, available to all ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive.