Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation


The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment who is assisted by two Ministers of State.

Departmental team

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are at 23 Kildare Street, Dublin 2. It is one of the most important economic departments in the Irish Government, responsible for the implementation of policy in five key areas:
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:
The department oversees a large number of bodies and agencies. In July 2009 the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes proposed merging the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency. However, this process remains at an early stage. Until 2010, the Department was responsible for FÁS, which had its responsibilities divided up between two bodies in 2013. Bodies and agencies associated with the Department include:
In the Ministry of Dáil Éireann of the Irish Republic there was a separate Minister for Industries and a Director of Trade and Commerce. These titled varied over the course of the ministries established during this revolutionary period. In the Irish Free State, there was a Minister for Industry and Commerce as part of the first Executive Council of the Irish Free State established in 1922. This was given a statutory basis by the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924. This act provided it with:
The Schedule assigned it with the duties of the following bodies:
The name and functions of the department have changed several times by means of statutory instruments.
DateEffect
2 June 1924Established as the Department of Industry and Commerce
27 July 1959Transfer of Transport, Fuel and Power to the Department of Transport and Power
12 July 1966Transfer of Labour to the Department of Labour
13 September 1977Transfer of Energy from the Department of Transport and Power
23 September 1977Renamed as the Department of Industry, Commerce and Energy
22 January 1980Transfer of Energy to the Department of Energy
23 January 1980Renamed as the Department of Industry, Commerce and Tourism
24 January 1980Transfer of Tourism from the Department of Tourism and Transport
20 August 1981Transfer of Industry to the Department of Energy
21 August 1981Renamed as the Department of Trade, Commerce and Tourism
16 December 1983Transfer of Industry from the Department of Industry and Energy
17 December 1983Renamed as the Department of Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism
18 February 1986Transfer of Tourism to the Department of Fisheries and Forestry
19 February 1986Renamed as the Department of Industry and Commerce
20 January 1993Transfer of Labour from the Department of Labour
20 January 1993Renamed as the Department of Enterprise and Employment
11 July 1997Transfer of Trade from the Department of Tourism and Trade
12 July 1997Renamed as the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
1 May 2010Transfer of Skills to the Department of Education and Science
1 May 2010Transfer of Research from the Department of Education and Science.
2 May 2010Renamed as the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation
1 June 2011Transfer of Trade to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
2 June 2011Renamed as the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
1 September 2017Transfer of Labour to the Department of Social Protection
2 September 2017Renamed as the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation