# Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality (Irish: An tAire Leanaí, Míchumais agus Comhionannais) is a senior minister in the government of Ireland and leads the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.
The current Minister for Children, Disability and Equality is Norma Foley, TD. She is assisted by a minister of state:

## Overview

The department was created in 1956 as the Department of the Gaeltacht. Its title and functions have changed several times, with the current title adopted in 2020. An office of minister of state for children existed from 1994 to 2011. The minister for tourism, culture, arts, Gaeltacht, sport and media is currently responsible for the Gaeltacht.

## List of office-holders

Minister for the Gaeltacht 1956–1993 :
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Richard Mulcahy | 2 June 1956 | 24 October 1956 | | Fine Gael | 7th |
| Patrick Lindsay | 24 October 1956 | 20 March 1957 | | Fine Gael | 7th |
| Jack Lynch | 20 March 1957 | 26 June 1957 | | Fianna Fáil | 8th |
| Mícheál Ó Móráin (1st time) | 26 June 1957 | 23 July 1959 | | Fianna Fáil | 8th • 9th |
| Gerald Bartley | 23 July 1959 | 11 October 1961 | | Fianna Fáil | 9th |
| Mícheál Ó Móráin (2nd time) | 11 October 1961 | 26 March 1968 | | Fianna Fáil | 10th • 11th • 12th |
| Pádraig Faulkner | 27 March 1968 | 2 July 1969 | | Fianna Fáil | 12th |
| George Colley | 2 July 1969 | 14 March 1973 | | Fianna Fáil | 13th |
| Tom O'Donnell | 14 March 1973 | 5 July 1977 | | Fine Gael | 14th |
| Denis Gallagher (1st time) | 5 July 1977 | 11 December 1979 | | Fianna Fáil | 15th |
| Máire Geoghegan-Quinn | 12 December 1979 | 30 June 1981 | | Fianna Fáil | 16th |
| Paddy O'Toole (1st time) | 30 June 1981 | 9 March 1982 | | Fine Gael | 17th |
| Pádraig Flynn | 9 March 1982 | 11 October 1982 | | Fianna Fáil | 18th |
| Denis Gallagher (2nd time) | 11 October 1982 | 14 December 1982 | | Fianna Fáil | 18th |
| Paddy O'Toole (2nd time) | 14 December 1982 | 10 March 1987 | | Fine Gael | 19th |
| Charles Haughey | 10 March 1987 | 11 February 1992 | | Fianna Fáil | 20th • 21st |
| John Wilson | 11 February 1992 | 12 January 1993 | | Fianna Fáil | 22nd |
| Michael D. Higgins (1st time) | 12 January 1993 | 21 January 1993 | | Labour | 23rd |
| Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht 1993–1997 ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Michael D. Higgins (1st time) | 21 January 1993 | 17 November 1994 | | Labour | 23rd |
| Bertie Ahern | 18 November 1994 | 15 December 1994 | | Fianna Fáil | 23rd |
| Michael D. Higgins (2nd time) | 15 December 1994 | 26 June 1997 | | Labour | 24th |
| Síle de Valera | 26 June 1997 | 12 July 1997 | | Fianna Fáil | 25th |
| Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands 1997–2002 ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Síle de Valera | 12 July 1997 | 6 June 2002 | | Fianna Fáil | 25th |
| Éamon Ó Cuív | 6 June 2002 | 19 June 2002 | | Fianna Fáil | 26th |
| Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs 2002–2010 ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Éamon Ó Cuív | 19 June 2002 | 23 March 2010 | | Fianna Fáil | 26th • 27th • 28th |
| Pat Carey | 23 March 2010 | 2 June 2010 | | Fianna Fáil | 28th |
| Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs 2010–2011 ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Pat Carey | 2 June 2010 | 9 March 2011 | | Fianna Fáil | 28th |
| Minister for Children and Youth Affairs 2011–2020 ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Frances Fitzgerald | 9 March 2011 | 7 May 2014 | | Fine Gael | 29th |
| Charles Flanagan | 8 May 2014 | 11 July 2014 | | Fine Gael | 29th |
| James Reilly | 11 July 2014 | 6 May 2016 | | Fine Gael | 29th |
| Katherine Zappone | 6 May 2016 | 27 June 2020 | | Independent | 30th • 31st |
| Roderic O'Gorman | 27 June 2020 | 15 October 2020 | | Green | 32nd |
| Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth 2020–2025 ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Roderic O'Gorman | 15 October 2020 | 23 January 2025 | | Green | 32nd • 33rd • 34th |
| Minister for Children, Disability and Equality 2025–present ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Norma Foley | 23 January 2025 | Incumbent | | Fianna Fáil | 35th |