The Minister for Social Protection ( ga, An tAire Cosanta Sóisialta) is a senior minister in the

Government of Ireland The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The gover ...

and leads the

Department of Social Protection The Department of Social Protection ( ga, An Roinn Cosanta Sóisialta) is a department of the Government of Ireland, tasked with administering Ireland's social welfare system. It oversees the provision of income support and other social service ...

. The current Minister for Social Protection is

Heather Humphreys Heather Humphreys (born 14 May 1963) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Rural and Community Development and Minister for Social Protection since June 2020. She also briefly served as Minister for Justice in November ...

. She is also

Minister for Rural and Community Development The Minister for Rural and Community Development (Irish: ''An tAire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail'') is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Rural and Community Development. The current Minister for Rural ...

and Minister for Justice. She is assisted by two

Ministers of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In o ...

: * Joe O'Brien, TD – Minister of State, with responsibility for Community Development and Charities; and *

Damien English Damien English (born 21 February 1978) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Meath West constituency since 2007, and previously from 2002 to 2007 for the Meath constituency. He served as Minister of State f ...

, TD – Minister of State, with responsibility for Redundancy and Insolvency Operations and Employer Services.

Overview

The position was created in 1947 as the Minister for Social Welfare. Its present title dates from 2020. The department formulates appropriate social protection policies and administers and manages the delivery of statutory and non-statutory schemes and services. It is also responsible for the delivery of a range of social insurance and social assistance schemes including provision for unemployment, illness, maternity, caring, widowhood, retirement and old age.

List of office-holders

;Notes

References

External links

Minister for Social Protection
{{Government of Ireland

Social Protection Social protection, as defined by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, is concerned with preventing, managing, and overcoming situations that adversely affect people's well-being. Social protection consists of policies and ...

Ireland, Social Protection Department of Social Protection 1947 establishments in Ireland