The Minister of State at the Department of Education is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Education of the Government of Ireland who performs duties and functions delegated by the Minister for Education. A minister of state does not hold cabinet rank.

The current minister of state is Thomas Byrne, TD, who was appointed in December 2022.[1]

List of parliamentary secretaries

Department of Education 1969–1978[edit]

Name Term of Office Party Government
Patrick Lindsay 2 July 1956 24 October 1956 Fine Gael 7th
Bobby Molloy 2 July 1969 9 May 1970 Fianna Fáil 13th
Michael O'Kennedy 9 May 1970 3 January 1973 Fianna Fáil
Jim Tunney 3 January 1973 5 February 1973 Fianna Fáil
John Bruton 14 March 1973 25 May 1977 Fine Gael 14th
Jim Tunney 5 July 1977 1 January 1978 Fianna Fáil 15th

List of ministers of state

Department of Education 1978–1997[edit]

Name Term of Office Party Responsibilities Government
Jim Tunney 1 January 1978 11 December 1979 Fianna Fáil 15th
12 December 1979 30 June 1981 16th
Michael Keating 30 June 1981 9 March 1982 Fine Gael Youth and Sport 17th
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn 9 March 1982 14 December 1982 Fianna Fáil Youth and Sport 18th
Donal Creed 16 December 1982 18 February 1986 Fine Gael School Buildings and Sport 19th
George Birmingham 15 December 1983 13 February 1986 Fine Gael Youth Affairs
Seán Barrett 13 February 1986 10 March 1987 Fine Gael Sport
Enda Kenny 18 February 1986 10 March 1987 Fine Gael Youth Affairs
Frank Fahey 12 March 1987 12 July 1989 Fianna Fáil Youth and Sport 20th
19 July 1989 11 February 1992 21st
Liam Aylward 13 February 1992 14 January 1993 Fianna Fáil Youth and Sport 22nd
14 January 1993 15 December 1994 23rd
Bernard Allen 20 December 1994 26 June 1997 Fine Gael School Buildings and Sport 24th
Austin Currie 20 December 1994 26 June 1997 Fine Gael Children

Department of Education and Science 1997–2010[edit]

Name Term of Office Party Responsibilities Government
Michael Smith 1 July 1997 9 October 1997 Fianna Fáil Science and Technology 25th
Willie O'Dea 8 July 1997 6 June 2002 Fianna Fáil Adult Education, Youth Affairs and School Transport
Noel Treacy 9 October 1997 6 June 2002 Fianna Fáil Science and Technology
Frank Fahey 21 January 1998 1 February 2000 Fianna Fáil Children
Mary Hanafin 1 February 2000 6 June 2002 Fianna Fáil Children
Síle de Valera 19 June 2002 8 December 2006 Fianna Fáil Adult Education, Youth Affairs and Educational Disadvantage 26th
Brian Lenihan 19 June 2002 14 June 2007 Fianna Fáil Children
Seán Haughey 12 December 2006 14 June 2007 Fianna Fáil Adult Education, Youth Affairs and Educational Disadvantage
20 June 2007 7 May 2008 Lifelong Learning, Youth Work and School Transport 27th
13 May 2008 9 March 2011 28th
Conor Lenihan 20 June 2007 7 May 2008 Fianna Fáil Integration Policy 27th
13 May 2008 22 April 2009 28th
22 April 2009 9 March 2011 Science, Technology, Innovation and Natural Resources
Michael Ahern 20 June 2007 7 May 2008 Fianna Fáil Innovation Policy 27th
Jimmy Devins 9 July 2007 7 May 2008 Fianna Fáil Disability Issues and Mental Health
13 May 2008 22 April 2009 Science, Technology and Innovation 28th
John Moloney 13 May 2008 23 March 2010 Fianna Fáil Equality, Disability Issues and Mental Health
23 March 2010 9 March 2011 Disability Issues and Mental Health
John Curran 22 April 2009 23 March 2010 Fianna Fáil Integration and Community

Department of Education and Skills 2010–2020[edit]

Name Term of office Party Responsibilities Government
Mary White 23 March 2010 23 January 2011 Green Equality and Human Rights; and Integration 28th
Seán Sherlock 10 March 2011 15 July 2014 Labour Research and Innovation 29th
Ciarán Cannon 10 March 2011 15 July 2014 Fine Gael Training and Skills
Damien English 15 July 2014 19 May 2016 Fine Gael Skills, Research and Innovation
John Halligan 19 May 2016 14 June 2017 Independent Training and Skills 30th
14 June 2017 27 June 2020 31st
Mary Mitchell O'Connor 14 June 2017 27 June 2020 Fine Gael Higher Education

Department of Education 2020–present[edit]

Name Term of office Party Responsibilities Government
Josepha Madigan 1 July 2020 17 December 2022 Fine Gael Special education and inclusion 32nd[2][3]
21 December 2022 22 March 2024 33rd[4][5]
Thomas Byrne 21 December 2022 Incumbent Fianna Fáil Sport and physical education

References

  1. ^ "List of Ministers and Ministers of State". Government of Ireland. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Appointment of Ministers and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (33rd Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 7 July 2020. Archived from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Appointment of Ministers of State" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 2020 (57): 820–821. 17 June 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Carroll MacNeill and O'Donnell promoted to junior ministers". RTÉ News. 21 December 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Appointment of Ministers of State" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 2023 (2): 26–27. 6 January 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
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