# Minister of State at the Department of Education

The Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Education and Youth of the Government of Ireland who performs duties and functions delegated by the Minister for Education and Youth. A minister of state does not hold cabinet rank.
There is currently one Minister of State:

## List of parliamentary secretaries

Department of Education 1969–1978 :
| Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Party | Government |
| Patrick Lindsay | 2 July 1956 | 24 October 1956 | Fine Gael | 7th |
| Bobby Molloy | 2 July 1969 | 9 May 1970 | Fianna Fáil | 13th |
| Michael O'Kennedy | 9 May 1970 | 3 January 1973 | Fianna Fáil | 13th |
| Jim Tunney | 3 January 1973 | 5 February 1973 | Fianna Fáil | 13th |
| John Bruton | 14 March 1973 | 25 May 1977 | Fine Gael | 14th |
| Jim Tunney | 5 July 1977 | 1 January 1978 | Fianna Fáil | 15th |

## List of ministers of state

Department of Education 1978–1997 :
| Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Party | Party | Responsibilities | Government |
| Jim Tunney | 1 January 1978 | 11 December 1979 | | Fianna Fáil | | 15th |
| Jim Tunney | 12 December 1979 | 30 June 1981 | | Fianna Fáil | | 16th |
| Michael Keating | 30 June 1981 | 9 March 1982 | | Fine Gael | Youth and Sport | 17th |
| Máire Geoghegan-Quinn | 9 March 1982 | 14 December 1982 | | Fianna Fáil | Youth and Sport | 18th |
| Donal Creed | 16 December 1982 | 18 February 1986 | | Fine Gael | School Buildings and Sport | 19th |
| George Birmingham | 15 December 1983 | 13 February 1986 | | Fine Gael | Youth Affairs | 19th |
| Seán Barrett | 13 February 1986 | 10 March 1987 | | Fine Gael | Sport | 19th |
| Enda Kenny | 18 February 1986 | 10 March 1987 | | Fine Gael | Youth Affairs | 19th |
| Frank Fahey | 12 March 1987 | 12 July 1989 | | Fianna Fáil | Youth and Sport | 20th |
| Frank Fahey | 19 July 1989 | 11 February 1992 | | Fianna Fáil | Youth and Sport | 21st |
| Liam Aylward | 13 February 1992 | 14 January 1993 | | Fianna Fáil | Youth and Sport | 22nd |
| Liam Aylward | 14 January 1993 | 15 December 1994 | | Fianna Fáil | Youth and Sport | 23rd |
| Bernard Allen | 20 December 1994 | 26 June 1997 | | Fine Gael | School Buildings and Sport | 24th |
| Austin Currie | 20 December 1994 | 26 June 1997 | | Fine Gael | Children | 24th |
| Department of Education and Science 1997–2010 |||||||
| Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Party | Party | Responsibilities | Government |
| Michael Smith | 1 July 1997 | 9 October 1997 | | Fianna Fáil | Science and Technology | 25th |
| Willie O'Dea | 8 July 1997 | 6 June 2002 | | Fianna Fáil | Adult Education, Youth Affairs and School Transport | 25th |
| Noel Treacy | 9 October 1997 | 6 June 2002 | | Fianna Fáil | Science and Technology | 25th |
| Frank Fahey | 21 January 1998 | 1 February 2000 | | Fianna Fáil | Children | 25th |
| Mary Hanafin | 1 February 2000 | 6 June 2002 | | Fianna Fáil | Children | 25th |
| Síle de Valera | 19 June 2002 | 8 December 2006 | | Fianna Fáil | Adult Education, Youth Affairs and Educational Disadvantage | 26th |
| Brian Lenihan | 19 June 2002 | 14 June 2007 | | Fianna Fáil | Children | 26th |
| Seán Haughey | 12 December 2006 | 14 June 2007 | | Fianna Fáil | Adult Education, Youth Affairs and Educational Disadvantage | 26th |
| Seán Haughey | 20 June 2007 | 7 May 2008 | | Fianna Fáil | Lifelong Learning, Youth Work and School Transport | 27th |
| Seán Haughey | 13 May 2008 | 9 March 2011 | | Fianna Fáil | Lifelong Learning, Youth Work and School Transport | 28th |
| Conor Lenihan | 20 June 2007 | 7 May 2008 | | Fianna Fáil | Integration Policy | 27th |
| Conor Lenihan | 13 May 2008 | 22 April 2009 | | Fianna Fáil | Integration Policy | 28th |
| Conor Lenihan | 22 April 2009 | 9 March 2011 | | Fianna Fáil | Science, Technology, Innovation and Natural Resources | 28th |
| Michael Ahern | 20 June 2007 | 7 May 2008 | | Fianna Fáil | Innovation Policy | 27th |
| Jimmy Devins | 9 July 2007 | 7 May 2008 | | Fianna Fáil | Disability Issues and Mental Health | 27th |
| Jimmy Devins | 13 May 2008 | 22 April 2009 | | Fianna Fáil | Science, Technology and Innovation | 28th |
| John Moloney | 13 May 2008 | 23 March 2010 | | Fianna Fáil | Equality, Disability Issues and Mental Health | 28th |
| John Moloney | 23 March 2010 | 9 March 2011 | | Fianna Fáil | Disability Issues and Mental Health | 28th |
| John Curran | 22 April 2009 | 23 March 2010 | | Fianna Fáil | Integration and Community | 28th |
| Department of Education and Skills 2010–2020 |||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Responsibilities | Government |
| Mary White | 23 March 2010 | 23 January 2011 | | Green | Equality and Human Rights; and Integration | 28th |
| Seán Sherlock | 10 March 2011 | 15 July 2014 | | Labour | Research and Innovation | 29th |
| Ciarán Cannon | 10 March 2011 | 15 July 2014 | | Fine Gael | Training and Skills | 29th |
| Damien English | 15 July 2014 | 19 May 2016 | | Fine Gael | Skills, Research and Innovation | 29th |
| John Halligan | 19 May 2016 | 14 June 2017 | | Independent | Training and Skills | 30th |
| John Halligan | 14 June 2017 | 27 June 2020 | | Independent | Training and Skills | 31st |
| Mary Mitchell O'Connor | 14 June 2017 | 27 June 2020 | | Fine Gael | Higher Education | 31st |
| Department of Education 2020–2025 |||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Responsibilities | Government |
| Josepha Madigan | 1 July 2020 | 17 December 2022 | | Fine Gael | Special education and inclusion | 32nd |
| Josepha Madigan | 21 December 2022 | 22 March 2024 | | Fine Gael | Special education and inclusion | 33rd |
| Thomas Byrne | 21 December 2022 | 23 January 2025 | | Fianna Fáil | Sport and physical education | 33rd • 34th |
| Hildegarde Naughton | 10 April 2024 | 23 January 2025 | | Fine Gael | Special education and inclusion | 34th |
| Department of Education and Youth 2025–present |||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Responsibilities | Government |
| Michael Moynihan | 29 January 2025 | Incumbent | | Fianna Fáil | Special education and inclusion | 35th |