The Executive Office is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive with overall responsibility for the running of the Executive. The ministers with overall responsibility for the department are the First Minister and deputy First Minister. The department was originally known as the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, with the same capitalisation used in the department's logo. Following a change in policy in 2007 (see First Minister and deputy First Minister), the word "deputy" was then spelt with a lower-case d, but the older version of the name was retained in the logo. In May 2016, the department was renamed the Executive Office as a result of the Fresh Start Agreement. Ministers Until 9 January 2017, the First Minister and deputy First Minister were Arlene Foster (Democratic Unionist Party) and Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin) respectively. On 9 January 2017, McGuinness resigned, forcing the vacancy of Foster's position under the rules of the Assembly. On 11 January 2020, Arlene Foster was reappointed First Minister with Michelle O'Neill of Sinn Féin appointed deputy First Minister. They are assisted by two junior ministers: Gary Middleton (DUP) and Declan Kearney (Sinn Féin). Responsibilities The Executive Office's overall aim is to “deliver a peaceful, fair, equal and prosperous society". Its key stated objectives include: "driving investment and sustainable development"; "Tackling disadvantage and promoting equality of opportunity"; and the "effective operation of the institutions of government". The office has the following main responsibilities: administrative support for the Northern Ireland Executive (co-chaired by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister) children and young people equality of opportunity and good relations emergency planning infrastructure investment international relations liaison with the Northern Ireland Assembly, the North/South Ministerial Council, the British-Irish Council, the Civic Forum for Northern Ireland (suspended) and departments of the UK Government poverty and social exclusion sustainable development victims and survivors of the Troubles The Executive Office's main counterparts in the United Kingdom Government are: the Northern Ireland Office (oversees the devolution settlement); the Cabinet Office (on the machinery of government and honours); the Department for Communities and Local Government (on community relations and emergency planning); the Government Equalities Office; the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (on sustainable development); the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (on international relations). History A Prime Minister of Northern Ireland was appointed on its formation in June 1921, supported by the Department of