The Department of Education ( ga, An Roinn Oideachais) is a

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

of 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 governm ...

. It is led by the Minister for Education who is assisted by one

Minister 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 ...

Departmental team

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are at Marlborough Street,

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

. The departmental team consists of the following: * Minister for Education: Norma Foley, TD ** Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion:

Josepha Madigan Josepha Madigan (born 21 May 1970) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion since July 2020. She has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Rathdown constituency since 2016. Sh ...

, TD *Secretary General: Bernie McNally

Overview

The mission of the Department of Education 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: *the promotion of equity and inclusion, quality outcomes and lifelong learning *planning for education that is relevant to personal, social, cultural and economic needs *enhancement of the capacity of the department for service delivery, policy formulation, research and evaluation

History

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 There were two Governments of the 2nd Dáil, which were Ministries of Dáil Éireann, the assembly of Dáil Éireann that was the legislature of the Irish Republic, a unilaterally declared state which lasted from 1919 to 1922. The Second Dáil ...

. It was provided a statutory basis by the

Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 The Ministers and Secretaries Acts 1924 to 2020 is the legislation which governs the appointment of ministers to the Government of Ireland and the allocation of functions between departments of state. It is subject in particular to the provisi ...

, passed soon after the establishment of the

Irish Free State The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between th ...

in 1922. This act provided it with: It also assigned it with the following agencies: *The Commissioners of National Education in Ireland. *The Intermediate Education Board for Ireland. *The Commissioners of Education in Ireland (Endowed Schools). *The Inspector of Reformatory and Industrial Schools. *The Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland (business and functions relating to Technical Instruction only). *The College of Science. *The Geological Survey in Ireland. *The National Museum of Science and Art. *The National Library of Ireland. *The National Gallery of Ireland. *The Metropolitan School of Art. *Meteorological Services. 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 The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (CICA) was one of a range of measures introduced by the Irish Government to investigate the extent and effects of abuse on children from 1936 onwards. Commencing its work in 1999, it was commonly known ...

, which reported in 2009 (the "Ryan Report"), found that this was rarely achieved. The department's headquarters were situated within the grounds of

Tyrone House, Dublin Tyrone House is a Georgian mansion townhouse built for Marcus Beresford, 1st Earl of Tyrone in 1740. It was constructed on lands bordering Marlborough Street (formerly Tyrone Street) in what was to become a fashionable part of North Dublin city ...

in what was formerly the home of the National Education Commissioners.

Alteration of name and transfer of functions

The name and functions of the department have changed by means of

statutory instrument In many countries, a statutory instrument is a form of delegated legislation. United Kingdom Statutory instruments are the principal form of delegated or secondary legislation in the United Kingdom. National government Statutory instrument ...

External links

Department of Education

References

{{authority control

Education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

Educational administration

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Education in the Republic of Ireland Science and technology in the Republic of Ireland Ministries established in 1921 1921 establishments in Ireland