Department of Education and Skills (Ireland)


The Department of Education is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Education and one Minister of State.

Departmental team

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are at Marlborough Street, Dublin 1. The departmental team consists of the following:
On the formation of the 32nd Government on 27 June 2020, the intended creation of a new department was announced, with functions from the Department of Education and Skills and from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation to be transferred to this new department. Its team consists of:
The mission of the Department of Education and Skills is to provide high-quality education which will enable individuals to achieve their full potential and to participate fully as members of society, and contribute to Ireland's social, cultural and economic development. Chief among the Department's priorities are:
In the revolutionary period, the position was first established as the Minister for Irish. This was expanded as the Secretary for Education in the Government of the 2nd Dáil. 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:
It also assigned it with the following agencies:
In the early years of the state, the main focus was on running the National School primary system. Free secondary education was provided from 1968. The Department also had the task of overseeing reformatory and industrial schools from 1922. The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, which reported in 2009, found that this was rarely achieved.

Alteration of name and transfer of functions

The name and functions of the department have changed by means of statutory instruments.
DateEffect
2 June 1924Establishment of the Department of Education
1 October 1997Renamed as the Department of Education and Science
1 May 2010Transfer of Skills Training from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
1 May 2010Transfer of Research to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
2 May 2010Renamed as the Department of Education and Skills