The Minister for Labour was originally a position in the Government of the Irish Republic, the self-declared state which was established in 1919 by Dáil Éireann, the parliamentary assembly made up of the majority of Irish MPs elected in the 1918 general election. Constance Markievicz was the first person to hold the post. The office did not continue into the Executive Council of the Irish Free State. The later office of Minister for Labour was created by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1966 as a member of the Government of Ireland. In 1993, the minister's functions were transferred to the Minister for Enterprise and Employment and was succeeded by the Minister for Equality and Law Reform, a position which existed during the Fianna Fáil–Labour coalition led by Albert Reynolds (1993–1994) and the Fine Gael–Labour–Democratic Left coalition (1994–1997) led by John Bruton. Its primary functions were in the area of civil and family law reform (including divorce legislation) and equality legislation. Under both governments, the Minister for Equality and Law Reform was Labour Party TD Mervyn Taylor, although Máire Geoghegan-Quinn served as Minister between November and December 1994, after Labour had left the coalition with Fianna Fáil. In 1997, the minister's functions were transferred to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The Department of Equality and Law Reform ceased to exist but was not formally abolished. The functions formerly exercised by the Minister for Labour are now exercised by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The functions formerly exercised by the Minister for Equality and Law Reform are now exercised by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Minister for Justice.

History

Alteration of name and transfer of functions

Legislation introduced by the Department of Equality and Law Reform

The following legislation was introduced by the Department: The following legislation had originally been drafted by the Department but later enacted under the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform:

List of office-holders

{| class="wikitable"

Minister for Labour 1919–1922

!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s)

Minister for Labour 1966–1993

!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s)

Minister for Equality and Law Reform 1993–1997

!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s)

Minister of State at the Department of Labour 1978–1993

Under the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977, the government may appoint a member of the Oireachtas to act as a Minister of State in a department. The Minister of State did not hold cabinet rank.