The Department of Education is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Education.

Departmental team

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are at Marlborough Street, Dublin. The departmental team consists of the following:

Overview

Chief among the department's priorities are:

History

In the revolutionary period, the position was first established as the Minister for Irish. This was expanded as the Secretary for Education in the Government of the 2nd Dáil. It was provided a statutory basis by the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, passed 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 Education, including primary, secondary and university education, vocational and technical training, endowed schools, reformatories, and industrial schools, 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 Fourth Part of the Schedule to this Act, and of which Department the head shall be, and shall be styled, an t-Aire Oideachais or (in English) the Minister for Education." It also assigned it with the following agencies: In the early years of the state, the main focus was on running the National School primary system. Free secondary education was provided from 1968. The department also had the task of overseeing reformatory and industrial schools from 1922. The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, which reported in 2009 (the "Ryan Report"), found that this was rarely achieved. The department's headquarters were situated within the grounds of Tyrone House, Dublin in what was formerly the home of the National Education Commissioners.

Alteration of name and transfer of functions

The name and functions of the department have changed by means of statutory instruments.