Minister of State at the Department of Education

The Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Education and Youth of the Government of Ireland who performs duties and functions delegated by the Minister for Education and Youth. A minister of state does not hold cabinet rank.

There is currently one Minister of State:

• Michael Moynihan, TD – Minister of State with responsibility for special education and inclusion

List of parliamentary secretaries

Name	Term of Office		Party		Government
Patrick Lindsay	2 July 1956	24 October 1956		Fine Gael	7th
Bobby Molloy	2 July 1969	9 May 1970		Fianna Fáil	13th
Michael O'Kennedy	9 May 1970	3 January 1973		Fianna Fáil
Jim Tunney	3 January 1973	5 February 1973		Fianna Fáil
John Bruton	14 March 1973	25 May 1977		Fine Gael	14th
Jim Tunney	5 July 1977	1 January 1978		Fianna Fáil	15th

List of ministers of state

Name	Term of Office		Party		Responsibilities	Government
Jim Tunney	1 January 1978	11 December 1979		Fianna Fáil		15th
	12 December 1979	30 June 1981				16th
Michael Keating	30 June 1981	9 March 1982		Fine Gael	Youth and Sport	17th
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn	9 March 1982	14 December 1982		Fianna Fáil	Youth and Sport	18th
Donal Creed	16 December 1982	18 February 1986		Fine Gael	School Buildings and Sport	19th
George Birmingham	15 December 1983	13 February 1986		Fine Gael	Youth Affairs
Seán Barrett	13 February 1986	10 March 1987		Fine Gael	Sport
Enda Kenny	18 February 1986	10 March 1987		Fine Gael	Youth Affairs
Frank Fahey	12 March 1987	12 July 1989		Fianna Fáil	Youth and Sport	20th
	19 July 1989	11 February 1992				21st
Liam Aylward	13 February 1992	14 January 1993		Fianna Fáil	Youth and Sport	22nd
	14 January 1993	15 December 1994				23rd
Bernard Allen	20 December 1994	26 June 1997		Fine Gael	School Buildings and Sport	24th
Austin Currie	20 December 1994	26 June 1997		Fine Gael	Children
Name	Term of Office		Party		Responsibilities	Government
Michael Smith	1 July 1997	9 October 1997		Fianna Fáil	Science and Technology	25th
Willie O'Dea	8 July 1997	6 June 2002		Fianna Fáil	Adult Education, Youth Affairs and School Transport
Noel Treacy	9 October 1997	6 June 2002		Fianna Fáil	Science and Technology
Frank Fahey	21 January 1998	1 February 2000		Fianna Fáil	Children
Mary Hanafin	1 February 2000	6 June 2002		Fianna Fáil	Children
Síle de Valera	19 June 2002	8 December 2006		Fianna Fáil	Adult Education, Youth Affairs and Educational Disadvantage	26th
Brian Lenihan	19 June 2002	14 June 2007		Fianna Fáil	Children
Seán Haughey	12 December 2006	14 June 2007		Fianna Fáil	Adult Education, Youth Affairs and Educational Disadvantage
	20 June 2007	7 May 2008			Lifelong Learning, Youth Work and School Transport	27th
	13 May 2008	9 March 2011				28th
Conor Lenihan	20 June 2007	7 May 2008		Fianna Fáil	Integration Policy	27th
	13 May 2008	22 April 2009				28th
	22 April 2009	9 March 2011			Science, Technology, Innovation and Natural Resources
Michael Ahern	20 June 2007	7 May 2008		Fianna Fáil	Innovation Policy	27th
Jimmy Devins	9 July 2007	7 May 2008		Fianna Fáil	Disability Issues and Mental Health
	13 May 2008	22 April 2009			Science, Technology and Innovation	28th
John Moloney	13 May 2008	23 March 2010		Fianna Fáil	Equality, Disability Issues and Mental Health
	23 March 2010	9 March 2011			Disability Issues and Mental Health
John Curran	22 April 2009	23 March 2010		Fianna Fáil	Integration and Community
Name	Term of office		Party		Responsibilities	Government
Mary White	23 March 2010	23 January 2011		Green	Equality and Human Rights; and Integration	28th
Seán Sherlock	10 March 2011	15 July 2014		Labour	Research and Innovation	29th
Ciarán Cannon	10 March 2011	15 July 2014		Fine Gael	Training and Skills
Damien English	15 July 2014	19 May 2016		Fine Gael	Skills, Research and Innovation
John Halligan	19 May 2016	14 June 2017		Independent	Training and Skills	30th
	14 June 2017	27 June 2020				31st
Mary Mitchell O'Connor	14 June 2017	27 June 2020		Fine Gael	Higher Education
Name	Term of office		Party		Responsibilities	Government
Josepha Madigan	1 July 2020	17 December 2022		Fine Gael	Special education and inclusion	32nd [1] [2]
	21 December 2022	22 March 2024				33rd [3] [4]
Thomas Byrne	21 December 2022	23 January 2025		Fianna Fáil	Sport and physical education	33rd  • 34th
Hildegarde Naughton	10 April 2024	23 January 2025		Fine Gael	Special education and inclusion	34th
Name	Term of office		Party		Responsibilities	Government
Michael Moynihan	29 January 2025	Incumbent		Fianna Fáil	Special education and inclusion	35th

References

1. "Appointment of Ministers and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (33rd Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 7 July 2020. Archived from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
2. "Appointment of Ministers of State" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil . 2020 (57): 820–821. 17 June 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
3. "Carroll MacNeill and O'Donnell promoted to junior ministers". RTÉ News . 21 December 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
4. "Appointment of Ministers of State" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 2023 (2): 26–27. 6 January 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023.