The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality () is a senior minister in the

government of Ireland The Government of Ireland () is the executive (government), executive authority of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, headed by the , the head of government. The government – also known as the cabinet (government), cabinet – is composed of Mini ...

and leads the

Department of Children, Disability and Equality The Department of Children, Disability and Equality () is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality. Departmental team The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the d ...

. The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality is

Norma Foley Norma Foley (born 1970) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Children, Disability and Equality since January 2025. She previously served as Minister for Education from 2020 to 2025. She has been a Teachta Dála (T ...

, TD. She is assisted by a

minister of state Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...

: * Hildegarde Naughton, TD – Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality with responsibility for disability.

Overview

The office was created in 1956 as the Minister for the

Gaeltacht A ( , , ) is a district of Ireland, either individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The districts were first officially recognised ...

. Its title and functions have changed several times, with the current title adopted in 2020. An office of

minister of state for children The Minister of State for Children was a junior ministerial post in the Departments of Health and Children, Justice and Law Reform and Education and Skills of the Government of Ireland. The Minister of State worked together with the various se ...

existed from 2005 to 2011. Responsibility for the Gaeltacht was transferred to the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in 2011 and to the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht in 2025.

List of office-holders

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Children, Disability and Equality Government ministers of the Republic of Ireland Lists of government ministers of Ireland Ministers for children, young people and families Minister