Minister for Education (Ireland)

The Minister for Education (An tAire Oideachais) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Education. The current Minister for Education is Norma Foley, TD.

She is assisted by:
 * Hildegarde Naughton, TD – Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, and
 * Thomas Byrne, TD – Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education.

Functions
The minister engages in a wide range of activities relating to education in the Republic of Ireland, including policy planning, quality assurance and the provision of a broad range of services.

The department officially aims to:
 * Promote equity and inclusion
 * Promote lifelong learning
 * Plan for education that is relevant to personal, social, cultural and economic needs.

In recent years some of these functions have been devolved to statutory authorities, in particular the Higher Education Authority, the National Qualifications Authority and the State Examinations Commission. Irish universities and colleges are to a large extent free of government control, with this being largely limited to policy formation and statistics preparation.

History
In 1919, the Gaelic League passed a motion calling for the Dáil to appoint a Minister for Irish, which was read into the record of the Dáil by the Ceann Comhairle. On 29 June 1920, John J. O'Kelly, known in Irish as Seán Ua Ceallaigh, and also by the pen name Sceilg, was appointed as Minister for Irish. The portfolio was created to promote the use of the Irish language throughout the country.

After the Second Dáil met in August 1921, the President Éamon de Valera proposed that this position be altered to that of Minister for Education, saying "It was obvious the Minister in charge should be capable of dealing with the part referring to Irish but he thought the Department should have a wider meaning than at present". This was accepted by the Dáil. The following day, when de Valera proposed his new ministry, O'Kelly was proposed as Minister for Education, continuing in his previous position with an expanded function.

It was given a statutory basis in the Irish Free State as one of the positions in the Executive Council under the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924.

List of office-holders
{{legend|#E6E6AA|Denotes acting Minister|border=black}} {| class ="wikitable"
 * colspan="6"|
 * colspan="6"|

Minister for Irish 1920–1921
!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s)
 * John J. O'Kelly
 * 29 June 1920
 * 26 August 1921
 * 2nd DM
 * colspan="6"|
 * 2nd DM
 * colspan="6"|
 * colspan="6"|

Minister for Education 1921–1997
!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s) (1st time) (2nd time) (1st time) (2nd time) (1st time) (1st time) (2nd time)
 * John J. O'Kelly
 * 26 August 1921
 * 9 January 1922
 * 3rd DM
 * Michael Hayes
 * 11 January 1922
 * 9 September 1922
 * 4th DM
 * Fionán Lynch
 * 1 April 1922
 * 30 August 1922
 * 1st PG
 * Eoin MacNeill
 * 30 August 1922
 * 24 November 1925
 * 2nd PG • 5th DM • 1st EC • 2nd EC
 * John M. O'Sullivan
 * 28 January 1926
 * 9 March 1932
 * 3rd EC • 4th EC • 5th EC
 * Thomas Derrig
 * 24 November 1925
 * 2nd PG • 5th DM • 1st EC • 2nd EC
 * John M. O'Sullivan
 * 28 January 1926
 * 9 March 1932
 * 3rd EC • 4th EC • 5th EC
 * Thomas Derrig
 * 3rd EC • 4th EC • 5th EC
 * Thomas Derrig
 * Thomas Derrig
 * Thomas Derrig
 * 9 March 1932
 * 8 September 1939
 * 6th EC • 7th EC • 8th EC • 1st • 2nd
 * Seán T. O'Kelly
 * 8 September 1939
 * 27 September 1939
 * 2nd
 * - bgcolor=#E6E6AA
 * Éamon de Valera (acting)
 * 27 September 1939
 * 18 June 1940
 * 2nd
 * Thomas Derrig
 * 18 June 1940
 * 2nd
 * Thomas Derrig
 * Thomas Derrig
 * Thomas Derrig
 * 18 June 1940
 * 18 February 1948
 * 2nd • 3rd • 4th
 * Richard Mulcahy
 * Richard Mulcahy
 * Richard Mulcahy
 * 18 February 1948
 * 13 June 1951
 * 5th
 * Seán Moylan
 * 13 June 1951
 * 2 June 1954
 * 6th
 * Richard Mulcahy
 * 6th
 * Richard Mulcahy
 * Richard Mulcahy
 * Richard Mulcahy
 * 2 June 1954
 * 20 March 1957
 * 7th
 * Jack Lynch
 * Jack Lynch
 * Jack Lynch
 * 20 March 1957
 * 23 June 1959
 * 8th
 * Patrick Hillery
 * 23 June 1959
 * 21 April 1965
 * 9th • 10th
 * George Colley
 * 21 April 1965
 * 13 July 1966
 * 11th
 * Donogh O'Malley
 * 13 July 1966
 * 10 March 1968
 * 11th • 12th
 * - bgcolor=#E6E6AA
 * Jack Lynch (acting)
 * 10 March 1968
 * 26 March 1968
 * 12th
 * Brian Lenihan
 * 26 March 1968
 * 2 July 1969
 * 12th
 * Pádraig Faulkner
 * 2 July 1969
 * 14 March 1973
 * 13th
 * Richard Burke
 * 14 March 1973
 * 2 December 1976
 * 14th
 * Peter Barry
 * 2 December 1976
 * 5 July 1977
 * 14th
 * John Wilson
 * 5 July 1977
 * 30 June 1981
 * 15th • 16th
 * John Boland
 * 30 June 1981
 * 9 March 1982
 * 17th
 * Martin O'Donoghue
 * 9 March 1982
 * 6 October 1982
 * 18th
 * - bgcolor=#E6E6AA
 * Charles Haughey (acting)
 * 7 October 1982
 * 27 October 1982
 * 18th
 * Gerard Brady
 * 27 October 1982
 * 14 December 1982
 * 18th
 * Gemma Hussey
 * 14 December 1982
 * 14 February 1986
 * 19th
 * Patrick Cooney
 * 14 February 1986
 * 10 March 1987
 * 19th
 * Mary O'Rourke
 * 10 March 1987
 * 14 November 1991
 * 20th • 21st
 * Noel Davern
 * 14 November 1991
 * 11 February 1992
 * 21st
 * Séamus Brennan
 * 11 February 1992
 * 12 January 1993
 * 22nd
 * Niamh Bhreathnach
 * 27 October 1982
 * 14 December 1982
 * 18th
 * Gemma Hussey
 * 14 December 1982
 * 14 February 1986
 * 19th
 * Patrick Cooney
 * 14 February 1986
 * 10 March 1987
 * 19th
 * Mary O'Rourke
 * 10 March 1987
 * 14 November 1991
 * 20th • 21st
 * Noel Davern
 * 14 November 1991
 * 11 February 1992
 * 21st
 * Séamus Brennan
 * 11 February 1992
 * 12 January 1993
 * 22nd
 * Niamh Bhreathnach
 * 14 November 1991
 * 11 February 1992
 * 21st
 * Séamus Brennan
 * 11 February 1992
 * 12 January 1993
 * 22nd
 * Niamh Bhreathnach
 * 22nd
 * Niamh Bhreathnach
 * Niamh Bhreathnach
 * Niamh Bhreathnach
 * 12 January 1993
 * 17 November 1994
 * 23rd
 * Michael Smith
 * 18 November 1994
 * 15 December 1994
 * 23rd
 * Niamh Bhreathnach
 * 23rd
 * Niamh Bhreathnach
 * Niamh Bhreathnach
 * Niamh Bhreathnach
 * 15 December 1994
 * 26 June 1997
 * 24th
 * Micheál Martin
 * 26 June 1997
 * 30 September 1997
 * 25th
 * colspan="6"|
 * 25th
 * colspan="6"|
 * colspan="6"|
 * colspan="6"|

Minister for Education and Science 1997–2010
!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s)
 * Micheál Martin
 * 30 September 1997
 * 27 January 2000
 * 25th
 * Michael Woods
 * 27 January 2000
 * 6 June 2002
 * 25th
 * Noel Dempsey
 * 6 June 2002
 * 29 September 2004
 * 26th
 * Mary Hanafin
 * 29 September 2004
 * 7 May 2008
 * 26th • 27th
 * Batt O'Keeffe
 * 7 May 2008
 * 23 March 2010
 * 27th • 28th
 * Mary Coughlan
 * 23 March 2010
 * 2 May 2010
 * 28th
 * colspan="6"|
 * Batt O'Keeffe
 * 7 May 2008
 * 23 March 2010
 * 27th • 28th
 * Mary Coughlan
 * 23 March 2010
 * 2 May 2010
 * 28th
 * colspan="6"|
 * 28th
 * colspan="6"|
 * colspan="6"|
 * colspan="6"|

Minister for Education and Skills 2010–2020
!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s)
 * Mary Coughlan
 * 2 May 2010
 * 9 March 2011
 * 28th
 * Ruairi Quinn
 * 9 March 2011
 * 11 July 2014
 * 29th
 * Jan O'Sullivan
 * 11 July 2014
 * 6 May 2016
 * 29th
 * Richard Bruton
 * 6 May 2016
 * 16 October 2018
 * 30th • 31st
 * Joe McHugh
 * 16 October 2018
 * 27 June 2020
 * 31st
 * Norma Foley
 * 27 June 2020
 * 22 October 2020
 * 32nd
 * colspan="6"|
 * Joe McHugh
 * 16 October 2018
 * 27 June 2020
 * 31st
 * Norma Foley
 * 27 June 2020
 * 22 October 2020
 * 32nd
 * colspan="6"|
 * 32nd
 * colspan="6"|
 * colspan="6"|
 * colspan="6"|

Minister for Education 2020–present
!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s)
 * Norma Foley
 * 22 October 2020
 * Incumbent
 * 32nd • 33rd • 34th
 * }
 * Notes
 * }
 * Notes