Stormont ministries distributed

Sinn Féin is to take the education portfolio in the next Northern Ireland Executive.

Sinn Féin is to take the education portfolio in the next Northern Ireland Executive.

The DUP will retain the Departments of Finance and Personnel and the UUP has opted for the Department of Regional Development.

The ministerial seats are allocated using the d'Hondt procedure based on the number of Assembly seats won. The announcements were made on Twitter, with First Minister Peter Robinson a firm fan of the microblogging service.

The names of the new ministers in the Executive will be formally announced on Monday

Former Sinn Féin education minister Caitriona Ruane scrapped the 11-plus during the last mandate but the matter has been controversial, with schools setting independent tests and the DUP opposed to the change.

Regional Development will be the UUP's only position after it lost a bid to woo former MLA David McClarty back into the party.

Former UUP Health Minister Michael McGimpsey was at loggerheads with his Executive colleagues during the last mandate over his budget and faced a row over cancer services at Altnagelvin Hospital.

Sinn Féin will again hold the Department of Agriculture. The SDLP will take the Department of the Environment as its only choice. Last term it was in charge of Social Development. The DUP will be in charge of Social Development.

Sinn Féin has taken the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. Sinn Féin MLA Barry McElduff had been deeply critical of former DUP minister Nelson McCausland's handling of the department. Passing an Irish Language Act is a high priority for Sinn Fein.

The DUP has taken the Department of Health and the Alliance Party the Department of Employment and Learning.

Alliance is expected to take the Department of Justice next week under separate arrangements agreed at the time of devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont.

Yesterday, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness pledged to re-double their efforts to create a better and shared future in Northern Ireland as they were reappointed First and Deputy First Minister.

On the first day of the new Assembly term, the DUP leader and Sinn Féin veteran both insisted those who opposed the peace process did not represent the people of the region and would ultimately fail.

They were not the only ones who found themselves in familiar roles as outgoing Speaker William Hay was re-elected to the role.

But the DUP MLA will not serve for the full mandate after it was announced that his party and Sinn Féin had struck a deal which will see the symbolic position shared this mandate, with a republican set to take the reins in 2014.

Sinn Féin's Francie Molloy, who is likely to succeed Mr Hay, Ulster Unionist Roy Beggs and the SDLP's John Dallat were elected as Deputy Speakers.

Proceedings did not pass off without controversy, however, as newly elected Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister lost little time in criticising both main parties, prompting Mr Hay to warn him about his conduct.

Affirming the pledge of office, Mr Robinson said the election had emphatically demonstrated that people wanted the institutions at Stormont to succeed.

PA