# Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Irish: An tAire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The current Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is James Browne, TD.
He is assisted by three Ministers of State:
* John Cummins, TD – Minister of State for local government and planning
* Christopher O'Sullivan, TD – Minister of State for nature, heritage and biodiversity
* Kieran O'Donnell, TD – Minister of State for housing

## Overview

The minister is responsible for, among other matters:
* housing;
* local authorities and related services;
* the supervision of elections, including general elections and presidential elections.

## List of office-holders

Minister for Local Government 1919–1924 :
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| W. T. Cosgrave | 2 April 1919 | 9 September 1922 | | Sinn Féin | 2nd DM • 3rd DM • 4th DM • 1st PG |
| Ernest Blythe | 30 August 1922 | 15 October 1923 | | Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty) | 2nd PG • 5th DM • 1st EC • 2nd EC |
| Séamus Burke | 15 October 1923 | 2 June 1924 | | Cumann na nGaedheal | 2nd EC |
| Minister for Local Government and Public Health 1924–1947 ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Séamus Burke | 2 June 1924 | 23 June 1927 | | Cumann na nGaedheal | 2nd EC |
| Richard Mulcahy | 23 June 1927 | 9 March 1932 | | Cumann na nGaedheal | 3rd EC • 4th EC • 5th EC |
| Seán T. O'Kelly | 9 March 1932 | 8 September 1939 | | Fianna Fáil | 6th EC • 7th EC • 8th EC • 1st • 2nd |
| P. J. Ruttledge | 8 September 1939 | 14 August 1941 | | Fianna Fáil | 2nd |
| Éamon de Valera (acting) | 15 August 1941 | 18 August 1941 | | Fianna Fáil | 2nd |
| Seán MacEntee | 18 August 1941 | 22 January 1947 | | Fianna Fáil | 2nd • 3rd • 4th |
| Minister for Local Government 1947–1977 ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Seán MacEntee | 22 January 1947 | 18 February 1948 | | Fianna Fáil | 4th |
| Timothy J. Murphy | 18 February 1948 | 29 April 1949 | | Labour | 5th |
| William Norton (acting) | 3 May 1949 | 11 May 1949 | | Labour | 5th |
| Michael Keyes | 11 May 1949 | 13 June 1951 | | Labour | 5th |
| Paddy Smith (1st time) | 13 June 1951 | 2 June 1954 | | Fianna Fáil | 6th |
| Patrick O'Donnell | 2 June 1954 | 20 March 1957 | | Fine Gael | 7th |
| Paddy Smith (2nd time) | 20 March 1957 | 27 November 1957 | | Fianna Fáil | 8th |
| Neil Blaney | 27 November 1957 | 10 November 1966 | | Fianna Fáil | 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th |
| Kevin Boland | 10 November 1966 | 7 May 1970 | | Fianna Fáil | 12th • 13th |
| Bobby Molloy | 9 May 1970 | 14 March 1973 | | Fianna Fáil | 13th |
| James Tully | 14 March 1973 | 5 July 1977 | | Labour | 14th |
| Sylvester Barrett | 5 July 1977 | 16 August 1977 | | Fianna Fáil | 15th |
| Minister for the Environment 1977–1997 ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Sylvester Barrett | 16 August 1977 | 15 October 1980 | | Fianna Fáil | 15th • 16th |
| Ray Burke (1st time) | 15 October 1980 | 30 June 1981 | | Fianna Fáil | 16th |
| Peter Barry | 30 June 1981 | 9 March 1982 | | Fine Gael | 17th |
| Ray Burke (2nd time) | 9 March 1982 | 14 December 1982 | | Fianna Fáil | 18th |
| Dick Spring | 14 December 1982 | 13 December 1983 | | Labour | 19th |
| Liam Kavanagh | 13 December 1983 | 14 February 1986 | | Labour | 19th |
| John Boland | 14 February 1986 | 10 March 1987 | | Fine Gael | 19th |
| Pádraig Flynn | 10 March 1987 | 8 November 1991 | | Fianna Fáil | 20th • 21st |
| John Wilson (acting) | 8 November 1991 | 14 November 1991 | | Fianna Fáil | 21st |
| Rory O'Hanlon | 14 November 1991 | 14 February 1992 | | Fianna Fáil | 21st |
| Michael Smith | 14 February 1992 | 14 December 1994 | | Fianna Fáil | 22nd • 23rd |
| Brendan Howlin | 14 December 1994 | 26 June 1997 | | Labour | 24th |
| Noel Dempsey | 26 June 1997 | 22 July 1997 | | Fianna Fáil | 25th |
| Minister for Environment and Local Government 1997–2002 ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Noel Dempsey | 22 July 1997 | 6 June 2002 | | Fianna Fáil | 25th |
| Martin Cullen | 6 June 2002 | 10 June 2003 | | Fianna Fáil | 26th |
| Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government 2002–2011 ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Martin Cullen | 10 June 2003 | 29 September 2004 | | Fianna Fáil | 26th |
| Dick Roche | 29 September 2004 | 14 June 2007 | | Fianna Fáil | 26th |
| John Gormley | 14 June 2007 | 23 January 2011 | | Green | 27th • 28th |
| Éamon Ó Cuív | 23 January 2011 | 9 March 2011 | | Fianna Fáil | 28th |
| Phil Hogan | 9 March 2011 | 2 May 2011 | | Fine Gael | 29th |
| Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government 2011–2016 ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Phil Hogan | 2 May 2011 | 11 July 2014 | | Fine Gael | 29th |
| Alan Kelly | 11 July 2014 | 6 May 2016 | | Labour | 29th |
| Simon Coveney | 6 May 2016 | 23 July 2016 | | Fine Gael | 30th |
| Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government 2016–2017 ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Simon Coveney | 23 July 2016 | 14 June 2017 | | Fine Gael | 30th |
| Eoghan Murphy | 14 June 2017 | 1 August 2017 | | Fine Gael | 31st |
| Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government 2017–2020 ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Eoghan Murphy | 1 August 2017 | 27 June 2020 | | Fine Gael | 31st |
| Darragh O'Brien | 27 June 2020 | 30 September 2020 | | Fianna Fáil | 32nd |
| Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage 2020–present ||||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Government(s) |
| Darragh O'Brien | 30 September 2020 | 23 January 2025 | | Fianna Fáil | 32nd • 33rd • 34th |
| James Browne | 23 January 2025 | Incumbent | | Fianna Fáil | 35th |

### Notes

* ↑ Before 1937: DM – Dáil Ministry; PG – Provisional Government; EC – Executive Council.