First minister's department bigger than Downing Street

A report from a think-tank on devolution in Northern Ireland has revealed how the growing responsibility of Stormont's power-sharing executive has been accompanied by a burgeoning staff role at the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM).

The report by Democratic Dialogue, which was published last night, reviews the devolved administration and regularly assesses the performance of the Stormont assembly.

In its latest assessment of the devolved assembly, Democratic Dialogue revealed that the OFMDFM, when fully staffed, employs 424 people. To give some scale to the figure, the authors of the report say that the OFMDFM now employs more people than Downing Street and the Taoiseach's department combined.

A further comparison, this time with the US, shows that the OFMDFM employs only around 80 people less than the White House – which supports the work of the President of the United States.

Last month, in the first of his meetings with a Commons committee set up to scrutinise the work of the Prime Minister, Tony Blair denied that he led a presidential-style government, countering that Downing Street employs fewer mandarins than Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's office in Dublin.

It was later revealed through the media that Downing Street is manned by 190 staff and Bertie Ahern's Merrion Street department employs 205.

The OFMDFM, however, has one of smallest budgets of the 10 executive departments, having been allocated £14.5 million for 2002/2003. The Department of Social Development commands the largest budget at £185.2 million for the same period.

The OFMDFM defended the manning level, saying that it does more than support David Trimble and Mark Durkan, but plays a much wider role in the government of the province.

Democratic Dialogue was set up in 1995 and is headed by Robin Wilson – a former editor of political magazine 'Fortnight'.

According to its creators, the think-tank aims to provide "an independent inspiration for reflective thinking upon the critical issues confronting the people of Northern Ireland".

(GMcG)