Department of Children and Youth Affairs


The Department of Children and Youth Affairs is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

Departmental team

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are in Dún Aimhirgin, Mespil Road, Dublin 4. The departmental team consists of the following:
The department is responsible for children and youth affairs.

Child and Family Agency

The Child and Family Agency, known as Tusla, is an independent agency created by the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 and answerable to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Its functions were previously distributed among the Health Service Executive's Children & Family Services, the Family Support Agency, and the National Educational Welfare Board. The name Tusla is intended to invoke the Irish words tús "beginning" and lá "day".

History

The department was created by the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1956 as the Department of the Gaeltacht, an act of the 7th government of Ireland led by John A. Costello. This act provided its function as:
Over the years the name and functions of the department have changed several times by means of statutory instruments. The department currently responsible for the Gaeltacht is the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has had its current title and functions since 2011.

Alteration of name and transfer of functions