Department of Finance (Ireland)

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Department of Finance
Irish Department of Finance.png
Department overview
Formed22 January 1919
Jurisdiction Government of Ireland
Headquarters Government Buildings,
Merrion Street,
Dublin
53°20′21″N6°15′13″W / 53.33917°N 6.25361°W / 53.33917; -6.25361
Annual budget€439 million (2017)
Minister responsible
Department executive
Child agencies
Website Official website OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The Department of Finance (Irish : An Roinn Airgeadais) is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Finance.

Contents

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

Overview

Metalwork at Department of Finance buildings Dept of Finance, Ireland.jpg
Metalwork at Department of Finance buildings

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]

History

There 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 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

Secretary of the Department

NameTerm of office
William O'BrienFebruary 192221 February 1923
Joseph Brennan 22 February 192320 September 1927
James J. McElligott21 September 192731 March 1953
Owen J. Redmond1 April 195329 May 1956
T. K. Whitaker 30 May 195628 February 1969
Charles H. Murray1 March 196929 February 1976
M.N. Ó Murchú1 March 197617 October 1977
Tomás F. Ó Cofaigh18 October 197731 October 1981
Maurice F. Doyle1 November 198130 April 1987
Seán P. Cromien 1 May 198712 June 1994
Paddy Mullarkey13 June 19941 September 1997

Secretary General of the Department

NameTerm of office
Paddy Mullarkey2 September 19979 March 2000
John Hurley10 March 200010 March 2002
Tom Considine11 March 200230 June 2006
David Doyle1 July 200629 January 2010
Kevin Cardiff1 February 20102 February 2012
John Moran 6 March 20127 May 2014
Derek Moran3 July 2014May 2021
John HoganMay 2021Incumbent

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "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.
  2. ↑ "Government Ministers". Government of Ireland . 27 June 2024. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  3. ↑ "Department of Finance - Who Does What". Government of Ireland. 10 June 2024. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  4. ↑ "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.
  5. ↑ "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.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ "Constitution of Ireland". Irish Statute Book . Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ Public Service (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1987 ( S.I. No. 81 of 1987 ). Signed on 19 March 1987. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland .Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 28 August 2019.
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. ↑ 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.
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