The most recent devolved cabinet in Northern Ireland is the Northern Ireland Executive, established under the Belfast Agreement. The Executive has been in operation, intermittently, since 1999, but is currently in suspension. Since 1921, there have been three different prime ministerial offices in Northern Ireland.
From January to August 1922 there were two administrations operating in parallel, the Provisional Government and the Ministry of the Irish Republic, and each cabinet had an overlapping membership. Thus, during this time, there were two heads of government, Arthur Griffith, as President of the Republic, and Michael Collins as Chairman of the Provisional Government. This anomalous situation came to an end when William T. Cosgrave became assumed both offices on the deaths of Griffith, on the 12 August1922, and Collins, on 22 August, and merged the two competing administrations.
When William T. Cosgrave first became head of government he was still technically a member of Sinn Féin. However the pro-Treaty faction of Sinn Féin reformed itself as Cumann na nGaedheal shortly afterwards.
