N. Ireland Leaders Tackle New Jobs

The Protestant and Roman Catholic ministers of Northern Ireland’s new Cabinet got down to their first day of work Tuesday, concentrating on mastering their new jobs.

Meanwhile, the British province’s legislative assembly haggled over who among its members would fill the committees that oversee all 10 government departments.

In most cases, departments with Catholic ministers will face Protestants in the lead committee posts, and vice versa, as the new era of cooperation and compromise envisaged in last year’s Good Friday accord finally takes shape.

Parliament in London passed a bill late Tuesday that would transfer substantial powers Thursday to the Cabinet in Belfast from the British government, which has directly ruled Northern Ireland since 1972.

London will retain control of key areas, such as taxation and security, but the new Cabinet members will have their hands full.

“The fact is, all of us . . . [are] going to have to come to terms with wielding real responsibility for the first time in [our] political careers,” said new Finance and Personnel Minister Mark Durkan, a moderate Catholic.