Policy making in northern Ireland: Ignoring the evidence

The public policy-making process in Northern Ireland during the period of direct rule from Westminster (1972-99) was dominated by senior civil servants working for busy British ministers preoccupied with wider constitutional and security issues. The recent return to devolved government after its fitful start has ushered in a new era of policy making informed to a much greater extent by evidence gathering. This article considers a significant policy issue - the Review of Public Administration in Northern Ireland - as a means of examining how policy making is influenced by macro political factors aimed at stabilising the power-sharing Executive.