The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (Irish: An tAire Comhshaoil, Aeráide agus Cumarsáide) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
| Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications | |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | Taoiseach |
| Seat | Dublin, Ireland |
| Appointer | President of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach |
| Inaugural holder | Seán Etchingham as Director of Fisheries |
| Formation | 26 August 1921 |
| Website | Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications |
The current Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications is Eamon Ryan, TD.[1][2] He is also Minister for Transport.
He is assisted by two Ministers of State:
- Jack Chambers, TD – Minister of State for Postal Policy.
- Ossian Smyth, TD – Minister of State for Communications and the Circular economy
Overview edit
The department has responsibilities in the areas of:
Energy edit
- To develop a competitive energy supply industry
- To ensure security and reliability of energy supply
- To develop energy conservation and end-use efficiency.
Communications edit
- Communications development – promotion of the provision and development of competitive high quality and world class services in the communications, electronic and mobile commerce sectors.
- Business and technology – focusing on new business and technology applications and the development of policies, initiatives and legislation as appropriate.
- Regulatory affairs – the development of effective policies for the regulation of the electronic communications sector and management of the radio frequency spectrum.
- Postal services – the development of an effective policy for the Irish postal sector based on open market principles.
- It is seen as a successor to the old Department of Posts and Telegraphs.
Natural Resources edit
- The Petroleum Affairs Division aims to:
- maximise the benefits to the State from exploration for and production of indigenous oil and gas resources;
- ensure that activities are conducted safely and with due regard to their impact on the environment and other land/sea users.
- The Exploration and Mining Division of the department is charged with:
- applying the Minerals Development Act to minerals exploration and development;
- encouraging the early identification and responsible development by private investors of the Nation's minerals deposits in accordance with best international practice;
- enhancing the attractiveness of Ireland for international and national minerals investment by active promotional measures.
- The Geological Survey of Ireland is:
- Ireland's National Earth Science Agency, and is responsible for providing geological advice and information.
List of office-holders edit
Director of Fisheries 1919–1921 edit | |||||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government(s)[a] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seán Etchingham | 2 April 1919 | 26 August 1921 | Sinn Féin | 2nd DM | |
Secretary for Fisheries 1921–1922 edit | |||||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government(s) | ||
| Seán Etchingham | 26 August 1921 | 9 January 1922 | Sinn Féin | 3rd DM | |
Minister for Fisheries 1922–1928 edit | |||||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government(s) | ||
| Fionán Lynch | 14 December 1922 | 1 September 1928 | Cumann na nGaedheal | 1st EC • 2nd EC • 3rd EC • 4th EC | |
Minister for Lands and Fisheries 1928–1934 edit | |||||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government(s) | ||
| Fionán Lynch | 1 September 1928 | 9 March 1932 | Cumann na nGaedheal | 4th EC • 5th EC | |
| P. J. Ruttledge | 9 March 1932 | 8 February 1933 | Fianna Fáil | 6th EC | |
| Joseph Connolly | 8 February 1933 | 1 April 1934 | Fianna Fáil | 7th EC | |
Minister for Lands 1934–1977 edit | |||||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government(s) | ||
| Joseph Connolly | 1 April 1934 | 29 May 1936 | Fianna Fáil | 7th EC | |
| Frank Aiken | 3 June 1936 | 11 November 1936 | Fianna Fáil | 7th EC | |
| Gerald Boland | 11 November 1936 | 8 September 1939 | Fianna Fáil | 8th EC • 1st • 2nd | |
| Thomas Derrig (1st time) | 8 September 1939 | 2 July 1943 | Fianna Fáil | 2nd | |
| Seán Moylan | 2 July 1943 | 18 February 1948 | Fianna Fáil | 3rd • 4th | |
| Joseph Blowick (1st time) | 18 February 1948 | 7 March 1951 | Clann na Talmhan | 5th | |
| Thomas Derrig (2nd time) | 13 June 1951 | 2 June 1954 | Fianna Fáil | 6th | |
| Joseph Blowick (2nd time) | 2 June 1954 | 20 March 1957 | Clann na Talmhan | 7th | |
| Erskine H. Childers | 20 March 1957 | 23 July 1959 | Fianna Fáil | 8th • 9th | |
| Mícheál Ó Móráin | 23 July 1959 | 26 March 1968 | Fianna Fáil | 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th | |
| Pádraig Faulkner | 26 March 1968 | 2 July 1969 | Fianna Fáil | 12th | |
| Seán Flanagan | 2 July 1969 | 14 March 1973 | Fianna Fáil | 13th | |
| Tom Fitzpatrick (1st time) | 14 March 1973 | 2 December 1976 | Fine Gael | 14th | |
| Paddy Donegan | 2 December 1976 | 9 February 1977 | Fine Gael | 14th | |
Minister for Fisheries 1977–1978 edit | |||||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government(s) | ||
| Paddy Donegan | 9 February 1977 | 5 July 1977 | Fine Gael | 14th | |
| Brian Lenihan | 5 July 1977 | 15 July 1978 | Fianna Fáil | 15th | |
Minister for Fisheries and Forestry 1978–1986 edit | |||||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government(s) | ||
| Brian Lenihan | 15 July 1978 | 11 December 1979 | Fianna Fáil | 15th | |
| Paddy Power | 12 December 1979 | 30 June 1981 | Fianna Fáil | 16th | |
| Tom Fitzpatrick (2nd time) | 30 June 1981 | 9 March 1982 | Fine Gael | 17th | |
| Brendan Daly (1st time) | 9 March 1982 | 14 December 1982 | Fianna Fáil | 18th | |
| Paddy O'Toole (1st time) | 14 December 1982 | 14 February 1986 | Fine Gael | 19th | |
| Liam Kavanagh | 14 February 1986 | 19 February 1986 | Labour | 19th | |
Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry 1986–1987 edit | |||||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government(s) | ||
| Liam Kavanagh | 19 February 1986 | 20 January 1987 | Labour | 19th | |
| Paddy O'Toole (2nd time) | 20 January 1987 | 10 March 1987 | Fine Gael | 19th | |
| Brendan Daly (2nd time) | 10 March 1987 | 20 March 1987 | Fianna Fáil | 20th | |
Minister for the Marine 1987–1997 edit | |||||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government(s) | ||
| Brendan Daly (2nd time) | 20 March 1987 | 12 July 1989 | Fianna Fáil | 20th | |
| John Wilson | 12 July 1989 | 11 February 1992 | Fianna Fáil | 20th • 21st | |
| Michael Woods (1st time) | 11 February 1992 | 12 January 1993 | Fianna Fáil | 22nd | |
| David Andrews[b] | 12 January 1993 | 15 December 1994 | Fianna Fáil | 23rd | |
| Hugh Coveney[b] | 15 December 1994 | 23 May 1995 | Fine Gael | 24th | |
| Seán Barrett[b] | 23 May 1995 | 26 June 1997 | Fine Gael | 24th | |
| Michael Woods (2nd time) | 26 June 1997 | 12 July 1997 | Fianna Fáil | 25th | |
Minister for Marine and Natural Resources 1997–2002 edit | |||||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government(s) | ||
| Michael Woods (2nd time) | 12 July 1997 | 27 January 2000 | Fianna Fáil | 25th | |
| Frank Fahey | 27 January 2000 | 6 June 2002 | Fianna Fáil | 25th | |
| Dermot Ahern | 6 June 2002 | 19 June 2002 | Fianna Fáil | 26th | |
Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources 2002–2007 edit | |||||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government(s) | ||
| Dermot Ahern | 19 June 2002 | 29 September 2004 | Fianna Fáil | 26th | |
| Noel Dempsey | 29 September 2004 | 14 June 2007 | Fianna Fáil | 26th | |
| Eamon Ryan | 14 June 2007 | 20 October 2007 | Green | 27th | |
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources 2007–2016 edit | |||||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government(s) | ||
| Eamon Ryan | 20 October 2007 | 23 January 2011 | Green | 27th • 28th | |
| Pat Carey | 23 January 2011 | 9 March 2011 | Fianna Fáil | 28th | |
| Pat Rabbitte | 9 March 2011 | 11 July 2014 | Labour | 29th | |
| Alex White | 11 July 2014 | 6 May 2016 | Labour | 29th | |
| Denis Naughten | 6 May 2016 | 23 July 2016 | Independent | 30th | |
Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment 2016–2020 edit | |||||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government(s) | ||
| Denis Naughten | 23 July 2016 | 11 October 2018 | Independent | 30th • 31st | |
| Richard Bruton | 11 October 2018 | 27 June 2020 | Fine Gael | 31st | |
| Eamon Ryan[c] (2nd time) | 27 June 2020 | 24 September 2020 | Green | 32nd | |
Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications 2020–present edit | |||||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government(s) | ||
| Eamon Ryan[c] (2nd time) | 24 September 2020 | Incumbent | Green | 32nd • 33rd • 34th | |
- Notes
- ^ Before 1937: DM – Dáil Ministry; EC – Executive Council.
- ^ a b c Also Minister for Defence.
- ^ a b Also Minister for Transport.
See also edit
- Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (responsible for Communications until 1984; Minister for Communications, from 1984 to 1991)
- Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (responsible for the Environment until 2016)
- Irish Land Commission
References edit
- ^ "List of Ministers and Ministers of State", Government of Ireland, archived from the original on 7 August 2020, retrieved 31 July 2020
- ^ "Our Ministers". Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.