Sections 3 and 4 have effect despite anything in the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/283 (N.I. 1)) or any other enactment or rule of law that would prevent a senior officer of a Northern Ireland department from exercising departmental functions in the absence of Northern Ireland Ministers.

No inference is to be drawn from sections 3 and 4 or this section as to whether or not a senior officer of a Northern Ireland department would otherwise have been prevented from exercising departmental functions.