Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (An Roinn Comhshaoil, Aeráide agus Cumarsáide) is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors and regulates, protects and develops the natural resources of Ireland. The head of the department is the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications.

Departmental team
The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are at Adelaide Road, Dublin. The departmental team consists of the following:


 * Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications: Eamon Ryan, TD
 * Minister of State for Postal Policy: James Lawless, TD
 * Minister of State for Communications and the Circular economy: Ossian Smyth, TD
 * Secretary General of the Department: Oonagh Buckley

Structure
The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications is subdivided into the following divisions:
 * Climate – The Department has three major aims regarding climate change: To develop a competitive energy supply industry, to ensure security and reliability of energy supply, and to develop energy conservation and end-use efficiency.
 * Communications – The core policy objective of the Communications Sector is to contribute to sustained macro-economic growth and competitiveness and ensure that the Republic of Ireland is best placed to avail of the emerging opportunities provided by the information and knowledge society, by promoting investment in state-of-the-art infrastructures, by providing a supportive legislative and regulatory environment and by developing a leading edge research and development reputation in the information, communications and digital technologies.
 * Natural Resources – This division is subdivided into three sectors: the Exploration and Mining Division, Petroleum Affairs Division, and the Geological Survey of Ireland.

Affiliated bodies
Among the State Agencies and other bodies affiliated to the Department in some way are:
 * Commission for Regulation of Utilities
 * Commission for Communications Regulation
 * National Cyber Security Centre
 * Digital Hub Development Agency
 * National Digital Research Centre
 * Geological Survey of Ireland
 * Mining Board
 * Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
 * National Oil Reserves Agency
 * Central and Regional Fisheries Boards
 * Loughs Agency of the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission (North/South body)

Among the state-sponsored bodies of the Republic of Ireland under the aegis of the Minister are:
 * Electricity Supply Board
 * Bord na Móna
 * EirGrid
 * An Post
 * Irish National Petroleum Corporation

History
The Department of Fisheries was created in 1921 during the Ministry of Dáil Éireann. It was given a statutory basis by the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, soon after the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. This act provided it with: "the administration and business generally of public services in connection with fisheries, including deep-sea fisheries, tidal waters fisheries, coastal fisheries, inland waters fisheries, and industries connected with or auxiliary to the same, and all powers duties and functions connected with the same, and shall include in particular the business powers, duties and functions of the branches and officers of the public services specified in the Seventh Part of the Schedule to this Act, and of which Department the head shall be, and shall be styled, an t-Aire Iascaigh or (in English) the Minister for Fisheries."

The Schedule assigned it with the duties of the following bodies:
 * Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland—Fisheries Branch.
 * Congested Districts Board for Ireland—Fisheries Branch, and Rural Industries Branch.
 * The Conservators of Fisheries.

Alteration of name and transfer of functions
The name and functions of the department have changed several times by statutory instruments.