# Department of Finance (Ireland)

The Department of Finance (Irish: An Roinn Airgeadais) is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Finance.
The Department of Finance is responsible for the administration of the public finances of Ireland and all powers, duties and functions connected with the same, including in particular, the collection and expenditure of the revenues of Ireland from whatever source arising.

## Departmental team

* Minister for Finance: Paschal Donohoe, TD
** Minister of State for financial services, credit unions and insurance: Robert Troy, TD
* Secretary General of the Department: John Hogan

## Overview

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are in Government Buildings, Merrion Street, Dublin. The Department of Finance has a central role in implementing Irish Government policy, in particular the Programme for Government, and in advising and supporting the Minister for Finance and the Government on the economic and financial management of the State and the overall management and development of the public sector.
There are nine divisions within the Department of Finance:
* Shareholding and Financial Advisory Division
* Tax Division
* Economic Division
* Financial Services Division with responsibility for Legal Unit
* EU and International Division
* Human Resources Division
* International Finance and Climate Division
* Banking Division
* Corporate Affairs with responsibility for the Finance unit and FMU

## History

There was a Ministry of Finance in the Ministry of Dáil Éireann of the Irish Republic established on 22 January 1919. 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 the public finance of Saorstát Eireann and all powers, duties and functions connected with the same, including in particular the collection and expenditure of the revenues of Saorstát Eireann from whatever source arising (save as may be otherwise provided by law), and the supervision and control of all purchases made for or on behalf of and all supplies of commodities and goods held by any Department of State and the disposal thereof, and also the business, powers, duties and functions of the branches and officers of the public service specified in the first part of the Schedule to this Act, and of which Department the head shall be, and shall be styled an t-Aire Airgid or (in English) the Minister for Finance.
The Schedule assigned it the following bodies:
* The business and functions formerly administered, and discharged by the British Treasury in Ireland.
* The Revenue Commissioners.
* The Paymaster General and Deputy Paymaster for Ireland.
* The Government Actuary.
* The Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland.
* The Civil Service Commission.
* The Commissioner of Valuation and Boundary Surveyor for Ireland.
* The Ordnance Survey.
* The Superintendent of the Teachers' Pension Office.
* The Stationery Office.
* The Old Age Pensions, save as regards appeals governed by Statute.
* The Post Office Savings Bank (administered through the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs as agent).
* The Registrar of Friendly Societies.
The Department of Finance has retained its title since its establishment. It is the only department mentioned in the Constitution of Ireland. In 1973, its public service functions were transferred to the new Department of the Public Service. Until 1980, the position of the Minister for the Public Service was required by law to be assigned to the Minister for Finance. In 1987, these functions were transferred back to the Department of Finance.
In 1980, the functions of the Department of Economic Planning (established in 1977) were transferred to the Department of Finance. These functions are principally to promote and co-ordinate economic and social planning, including sectoral and regional planning, to identify development policies, to review the methods adopted by departments of state to implement such policies and generally to advise the government on economic and social planning matters.
In July 2011, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was established, and a considerable number of the functions of the Department of Finance were transferred to that department.

## Secretaries of the Department

Secretary of the Department :
| Name | Term of office | Term of office |
| William O'Brien | February 1922 | 21 February 1923 |
| Joseph Brennan | 22 February 1923 | 20 September 1927 |
| James J. McElligott | 21 September 1927 | 31 March 1953 |
| Owen J. Redmond | 1 April 1953 | 29 May 1956 |
| T. K. Whitaker | 30 May 1956 | 28 February 1969 |
| Charles H. Murray | 1 March 1969 | 29 February 1976 |
| M.N. Ó Murchú | 1 March 1976 | 17 October 1977 |
| Tomás F. Ó Cofaigh | 18 October 1977 | 31 October 1981 |
| Maurice F. Doyle | 1 November 1981 | 30 April 1987 |
| Seán P. Cromien | 1 May 1987 | 12 June 1994 |
| Paddy Mullarkey | 13 June 1994 | 1 September 1997 |
| Secretary General of the Department ||||
| Name | Term of office | Term of office |
| Paddy Mullarkey | 2 September 1997 | 9 March 2000 |
| John Hurley | 10 March 2000 | 10 March 2002 |
| Tom Considine | 11 March 2002 | 30 June 2006 |
| David Doyle | 1 July 2006 | 29 January 2010 |
| Kevin Cardiff | 1 February 2010 | 2 February 2012 |
| John Moran | 6 March 2012 | 7 May 2014 |
| Derek Moran | 3 July 2014 | May 2021 |
| John Hogan | May 2021 | Incumbent |