On May 8th, a new Power Sharing Government was formed in Northern Ireland. It is based in Parliament Buildings in Stormont. This solution has generated a genuine sense of optimism although it is a hugely complex solution to a hugely complex problem.

To find out more, we recommend you have a look at the official site at www.niassembly.gov.uk
and also see how the BBC reported the creation of the assembly here: (cut and paste into address bar)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6634373.stm

Stormont is the seat of devolved government in Northern Ireland. The name derives from the location of the parliament buildings where the parliament and the government of Northern Ireland sat until they were suspended by Westminster in March 1972. Located six miles east of Belfast, Stormont is a large edifice built of Portland stone on a plinth of Mourne granite. It was designed in the Official Classical style by Sir Arnold Thornley and opened by the Prince of Wales in 1932.

Between 1921 and 1972 Stormont was the political home of six Unionist prime ministers, two of them, Craig and Brooke, held office for almost 40 years. One of the first acts of the new Unionist government was to consolidate its power. It did this by introducing legislation changing the voting system and local council boundaries to ensure a perpetual unionist majority. On various occasions Prime Minister and MPs used the Parliament at Stormont to reinforce the message that it was a Protestant parliament for a Protestant people.

Stormont became the seat of a new Northern Ireland government before on 2 December 1999 when the Northern Ireland Executive was established. Republicans who had called for the destruction of the Stormont parliament now play an active role with two Ministers, one with responsibility for Education and the other for Health.

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