Paisley and McGuinness take office

DUP leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness today became the North’s First Minister and Deputy First Minister after taking the pledge of office.

With British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and other VIPs watching in the Northern Ireland Assembly’s public gallery, the Democratic Unionist leader and the former IRA commander swept aside decades of enmity as they were sworn in as First and Deputy First Minister.

They were appointed without applause after a request by new Speaker William Hay for a mark of respect for the late George Dawson, who was the DUP’s MLA for East Antrim.

The nominations of Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness set in train the nomination of 10 other devolved ministers to head government departments and two junior ministers.

Mr Paisley’s Democratic Unionists will head four ministries while Sinn Féin will control three.

First to be appointed was the DUP’s Peter Robinson as Finance and Personnel Minister.

The DUP's team also includes Nigel Dodds in the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Department, Arlene Foster at Environment, and Edwin Poots as Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure Minister.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams nominated Catriona Ruane as Education Minister and Conor Murphy in Regional Development.

Michelle Gildernew was confirmed as Agriculture Minister.

Michael McGimpsey from the Ulster Unionist Party is the new Health and Social Services Minister, while his party leader Reg Empey takes over Employment and Learning.

The nationalist SDLP’s Margaret Ritchie is the Social Development Minister.

The DUP’s Ian Paisley Jnr and Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly will be junior ministers working in the office of the First and Deputy First Ministers.