The Department of Finance (Irish: An Roinn Airgeadais) is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Finance and is assisted by a Minister of State.
 | |
| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 22 January 1919 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Ireland |
| Headquarters | Government Buildings, Merrion Street, Dublin 53°20′21″N 6°15′13″W / 53.33917°N 6.25361°W |
| Annual budget | €439 million (2017) |
| Minister responsible | |
| Department executive |
|
| Child agencies | |
| Website | Official website  |
The Department of Finance is responsible for the administration of the public finances of the Republic of Ireland and all powers, duties and functions connected with the same, including in particular, the collection and expenditure of the revenues of Ireland from whatever source arising.
Departmental team
edit- Minister for Finance: Jack Chambers, TD
- Minister of State at the Department of Finance with responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance: Neale Richmond, TD[2]
- Secretary General of the Department: John Hogan[3]
Overview
edit
The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are in Government Buildings, Merrion Street, Dublin. The Department of Finance has a central role in implementing Irish Government policy, in particular the Programme for Government, and in advising and supporting the Minister for Finance and the Government on the economic and financial management of the State and the overall management and development of the public sector.
There are nine divisions within the Department of Finance:[4]
- Shareholding and Financial Advisory Division
- Tax Division
- Economic Division
- Financial Services Division with responsibility for Legal Unit
- EU and International Division
- Human Resources Division
- International Finance and Climate Division
- Banking Division
- Corporate Affairs with responsibility for the Finance unit and FMU
History
editThere was a Ministry of Finance in the Ministry of Dáil Éireann of the Irish Republic established on 22 January 1919.[5] It was provided a statutory basis by the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, passed soon after the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. This act provided it with:[6]
the administration and business generally of the public finance of Saorstát Eireann and all powers, duties and functions connected with the same, including in particular the collection and expenditure of the revenues of Saorstát Eireann from whatever source arising (save as may be otherwise provided by law), and the supervision and control of all purchases made for or on behalf of and all supplies of commodities and goods held by any Department of State and the disposal thereof, and also the business, powers, duties and functions of the branches and officers of the public service specified in the first part of the Schedule to this Act, and of which Department the head shall be, and shall be styled an t-Aire Airgid or (in English) the Minister for Finance.
The Schedule assigned it the following bodies:[7]
- The business and functions formerly administered, and discharged by the British Treasury in Ireland.
- The Revenue Commissioners.
- The Paymaster General and Deputy Paymaster for Ireland.
- The Government Actuary.
- The Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland.
- The Civil Service Commission.
- The Commissioner of Valuation and Boundary Surveyor for Ireland.
- The Ordnance Survey.
- The Superintendent of the Teachers' Pension Office.
- The Stationery Office.
- The Old Age Pensions, save as regards appeals governed by Statute.
- The Post Office Savings Bank (administered through the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs as agent).
- The Registrar of Friendly Societies.
The Department of Finance has retained its title since its establishment. It is the only department mentioned in the Constitution of Ireland.[8] In 1973, its public service functions were transferred to the new Department of the Public Service.[9] Until 1980, the position of the Minister for the Public Service was required by law to be assigned to the Minister for Finance.[10] In 1987, these functions were transferred back to the Department of Finance.[11]
In 1980, the functions of the Department of Economic Planning (established in 1977) were transferred to the Department of Finance.[12] These functions are principally to promote and co-ordinate economic and social planning, including sectoral and regional planning, to identify development policies, to review the methods adopted by departments of state to implement such policies and generally to advise the government on economic and social planning matters.
In July 2011, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was established, and a considerable number of the functions of the Department of Finance were transferred to that department.[13]
Secretaries of the Department
editSecretary of the Departmentedit | |||
| Name | Term of office | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| William O'Brien | February 1922 | 21 February 1923 | |
| Joseph Brennan | 22 February 1923 | 20 September 1927 | |
| James J. McElligott | 21 September 1927 | 31 March 1953 | |
| Owen J. Redmond | 1 April 1953 | 29 May 1956 | |
| T. K. Whitaker | 30 May 1956 | 28 February 1969 | |
| Charles H. Murray | 1 March 1969 | 29 February 1976 | |
| M.N. Ó Murchú | 1 March 1976 | 17 October 1977 | |
| Tomás F. Ó Cofaigh | 18 October 1977 | 31 October 1981 | |
| Maurice F. Doyle | 1 November 1981 | 30 April 1987 | |
| Seán P. Cromien | 1 May 1987 | 12 June 1994 | |
| Paddy Mullarkey | 13 June 1994 | 1 September 1997 | |
Secretary General of the Departmentedit | |||
| Name | Term of office | ||
| Paddy Mullarkey | 2 September 1997 | 9 March 2000 | |
| John Hurley | 10 March 2000 | 10 March 2002 | |
| Tom Considine | 11 March 2002 | 30 June 2006 | |
| David Doyle | 1 July 2006 | 29 January 2010 | |
| Kevin Cardiff | 1 February 2010 | 2 February 2012 | |
| John Moran | 6 March 2012 | 7 May 2014 | |
| Derek Moran | 3 July 2014 | May 2021 | |
| John Hogan | May 2021 | Incumbent | |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Bodies under the aegis of the Department of Finance". Government of Ireland. 25 February 2021. Archived from the original on 14 September 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
- ^ "Government Ministers". Government of Ireland. 27 June 2024. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
- ^ "Department of Finance - Who Does What". Government of Ireland. 10 June 2024. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
- ^ "About the Department of Finance – Sections of the department". Government of Ireland. Department of Finance. 7 January 2019. Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Dáil Ministry – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Vol. F No. 2". Houses of the Oireachtas. 22 January 1919. Archived from the original on 19 October 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, s. 1: Establishment of the Departments of State (No. 16 of 1924, s. 1). Enacted on 21 April 1924. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 2 November 2019.
- ^ Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, Schedule: First Part: Particular Branches of Administration assigned to an Roinn Airgid (The Department of Finance). (No. 16 of 1924, Schedule). Enacted on 21 April 1924. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 October 2019.
- ^ "Constitution of Ireland". Irish Statute Book. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
- ^ Public Service (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1973 (S.I. No. 294 of 1973). Signed on 30 October 1973. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 28 August 2019.
- ^ Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1973, s. 3: The Department of the Public Service (No. 14 of 1973, s. 3). Enacted on 17 July 1973. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 2 November 2011.; Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1980, s. 7: Repeal (No. 2 of 1980, s. 7). Enacted on 18 March 1980. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 2 November 2011.
- ^ Public Service (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1987 (No. {{{number}}} of 1987). Enacted on 19 March 1987. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 28 August 2019.
- ^ Economic Planning and Development (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1980 (S.I. No. 1 of 1980). Signed on 2 January 1980. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
- ^ Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2011 (No. 10 of 2011). Enacted on 4 July 2011. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 2 November 2011.; Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2011 (Appointed Day) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 401 of 2011). Signed on 5 July 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 2 November 2011.