Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Irish: An tAire Fiontar, Trádála agus Fostaíochta) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Incumbent
Peter Burke
since 9 April 2024
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Member of
Reports toTaoiseach
SeatDublin, Ireland
AppointerPresident of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach
Inaugural holderErnest Blythe as Director of Trade and Commerce
Formation17 June 1919
WebsiteDepartment of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

The current Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment is Peter Burke, TD.

He is assisted by two Ministers of State:

Overview

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The Minister heads one of the most important economic departments in the Irish Government, responsible for the implementation of policy in five key areas – Enterprise, Innovation, Growth; Quality, Work and Learning; Making Markets and Regulation work better; Quality, Value and Continuous Improvement; and the European Union. A large element of the work of the Department arises from Ireland's membership of a number of international organisations, in particular the European Union and the World Trade Organization. The Department plays an active role in the development of EU and WTO policies, particularly to ensure that Ireland's interests are protected. The Department is organised into five divisions. They are:

  • Innovation and Investment Division
  • Enterprise and Trade Division
  • Commerce, Consumer and Competition Division
  • Employment Rights and Industrial Relations Division
  • Corporate Services

List of office-holders

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  Denotes acting Minister

Director of Trade and Commerce 1919–1921

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)[a]
Ernest Blythe17 June 191926 August 1921Sinn Féin2nd DM

Secretary for Trade and Commerce 1921–1922

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)
Ernest Blythe26 August 192111 January 1922Sinn Féin3rd DM

Minister for Trade 1922

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)
Ernest Blythe11 January 192230 August 1922Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty)4th DM • 1st PG

Minister for Industry and Commerce 1922–1977

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)
Joseph McGrath30 August 19227 March 1924Cumann na nGaedheal2nd PG • 5th DM • 1st EC • 2nd EC
Patrick McGilligan4 April 19249 March 1932Cumann na nGaedheal2nd EC • 3rd EC • 4th EC • 5th EC
Seán Lemass (1st time)9 March 193216 September 1939Fianna Fáil6th EC • 7th EC • 8th EC • 1st • 2nd
Seán MacEntee16 September 193918 August 1941Fianna Fáil2nd
Seán Lemass (2nd time)[b]18 August 194118 February 1948Fianna Fáil2nd • 3rd • 4th
Daniel Morrissey18 February 19487 March 1951Fine Gael5th
Thomas F. O'Higgins7 March 195113 June 1951Fine Gael5th
Seán Lemass (3rd time)13 June 19512 June 1954Fianna Fáil6th
William Norton2 June 195420 March 1957Labour7th
Seán Lemass (4th time)20 March 195723 June 1959Fianna Fáil8th
Jack Lynch23 June 195921 April 1965Fianna Fáil9th • 10th
Patrick Hillery21 April 196513 July 1966Fianna Fáil11th
George Colley13 July 19669 May 1970Fianna Fáil12th • 13th
Patrick Lalor9 May 197014 March 1973Fianna Fáil13th
Justin Keating14 March 19735 July 1977Labour14th
Desmond O'Malley (1st time)5 July 197723 September 1977Fianna Fáil15th

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy 1977–1980

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)
Desmond O'Malley23 September 197723 January 1980Fianna Fáil15th • 16th

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism 1980–1981

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)
Desmond O'Malley23 January 198030 June 1981Fianna Fáil16th
John Kelly30 June 198121 August 1981Fine Gael17th

Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism 1981–1983

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)
John Kelly21 August 19819 March 1982Fine Gael17th
Desmond O'Malley (2nd time)9 March 19826 October 1982Fianna Fáil18th
Paddy Power7 October 198227 October 1982Fianna Fáil18th
Pádraig Flynn (1st time)27 October 198214 December 1982Fianna Fáil18th
Frank Cluskey14 December 19828 December 1983Labour19th
Garret FitzGerald (acting)8 December 198313 December 1983Fine Gael19th
John Bruton13 December 198317 December 1983Fine Gael19th

Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism 1983–1986

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)
John Bruton17 December 198314 February 1986Fine Gael19th
Michael Noonan14 February 198619 February 1986Fine Gael19th

Minister for Industry and Commerce 1986–1993

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)
Michael Noonan19 February 198610 March 1987Fine Gael19th
Albert Reynolds10 March 198724 November 1988Fianna Fáil20th
Ray Burke24 November 198812 July 1989Fianna Fáil20th
Desmond O'Malley (3rd time)12 July 19894 November 1992Progressive Democrats21st • 22nd
Pádraig Flynn (2nd time)5 November 19924 January 1993Fianna Fáil22nd
Bertie Ahern4 January 199312 January 1993Fianna Fáil22nd
Ruairi Quinn12 January 199321 January 1993Labour23rd

Minister for Enterprise and Employment 1993–1997

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)
Ruairi Quinn21 January 199317 November 1994Labour23rd
Charlie McCreevy18 November 199415 December 1994Fianna Fáil23rd
Richard Bruton (1st time)15 December 199426 June 1997Fine Gael24th
Mary Harney26 June 199712 July 1997Progressive Democrats25th

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment 1997–2010

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)
Mary Harney12 July 199729 September 2004Progressive Democrats25th • 26th
Micheál Martin29 September 20047 May 2008Fianna Fáil26th • 27th
Mary Coughlan7 May 200823 March 2010Fianna Fáil28th
Batt O'Keeffe23 March 20102 May 2010Fianna Fáil28th

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation 2010–2011

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)
Batt O'Keeffe2 May 201020 January 2011Fianna Fáil28th
Mary Hanafin20 January 20119 March 2011Fianna Fáil28th
Richard Bruton (2nd time)9 March 20112 June 2011Fine Gael29th

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation 2011–2017

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)
Richard Bruton (2nd time)2 June 20116 May 2016Fine Gael29th
Mary Mitchell O'Connor6 May 201614 June 2017Fine Gael30th
Frances Fitzgerald14 June 20172 September 2017Fine Gael31st

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation 2017–2020

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)
Frances Fitzgerald2 September 201728 November 2017Fine Gael31st
Leo Varadkar (acting)28 November 201730 November 2017Fine Gael31st
Heather Humphreys30 November 201727 June 2020Fine Gael31st

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment 2020–present

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NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)
Leo Varadkar27 June 202017 December 2022Fine Gael32nd
Simon Coveney17 December 20229 April 2024Fine Gael33rd
Peter Burke9 April 2024IncumbentFine Gael34th
Notes
  1. ^ Before 1937: DM – Dáil Ministry; PG – Provisional Government; EC – Executive Council.
  2. ^ Also Minister for Supplies from 8 September 1939 to 1 August 1945.

References

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  1. ^ "Ministers". Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.