# Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Department of Climate, Environment and Energy (Irish: An Roinn Aeráide, Comhshaoil agus Fuinnimh) is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors and regulates, protects and develops the natural resources of Ireland. The head of the department is the Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy.

## Departmental team

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the Department are at Tom Johnson House, Beggar's Bush, Dublin. The departmental team consists of the following:
* Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy: Darragh O'Brien, TD
** Minister of State for the circular economy: Alan Dillon, TD
** Minister of State for the marine: Timmy Dooley, TD
* Secretary General of the Department: Oonagh Buckley

## Structure

The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications is subdivided into the following divisions:
* Climate – The Department has three major aims regarding climate change: To develop a competitive energy supply industry, to ensure security and reliability of energy supply, and to develop energy conservation and end-use efficiency.
* Communications – The core policy objective of the Communications Sector is to contribute to sustained macro-economic growth and competitiveness and ensure that Ireland is best placed to avail of the emerging opportunities provided by the information and knowledge society, by promoting investment in state-of-the-art infrastructures, by providing a supportive legislative and regulatory environment and by developing a leading edge research and development reputation in the information, communications and digital technologies.
* Natural Resources – This division is subdivided into three sectors: the Exploration and Mining Division, Petroleum Affairs Division, and the Geological Survey of Ireland.

## Affiliated bodies

Among the State Agencies and other bodies affiliated to the Department in some way are:
* Commission for Regulation of Utilities
* Commission for Communications Regulation
* National Cyber Security Centre
* Digital Hub Development Agency
* National Digital Research Centre
* Geological Survey of Ireland
* Mining Board
* Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
* National Oil Reserves Agency
* Central and Regional Fisheries Boards
* Loughs Agency of the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission (North/South body)
Among the state-sponsored bodies of Ireland under the aegis of the Minister are:
* Electricity Supply Board
* Bord na Móna
* EirGrid
* An Post
* Irish National Petroleum Corporation

## History

The Department of Fisheries was created in 1921 during the Ministry of Dáil Éireann. It was given a statutory basis by the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, soon after the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. This act provided it with:
   the administration and business generally of public services in connection with fisheries, including deep-sea fisheries, tidal waters fisheries, coastal fisheries, inland waters fisheries, and industries connected with or auxiliary to the same, and all powers duties and functions connected with the same, and shall include in particular the business powers, duties and functions of the branches and officers of the public services specified in the Seventh Part of the Schedule to this Act, and of which Department the head shall be, and shall be styled, an t-Aire Iascaigh or (in English) the Minister for Fisheries.
The Schedule assigned it with the duties of the following bodies:
* Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland—Fisheries Branch.
* Congested Districts Board for Ireland—Fisheries Branch, and Rural Industries Branch.
* The Conservators of Fisheries.

### Alteration of name and transfer of functions

The name and functions of the department have changed several times by statutory instruments.
| Date | Change |
| 2 June 1924 | Establishment of the Department of Fisheries |
| 22 July 1927 | Transfer of Irish Land Commission from the Department of Agriculture |
| 1 September 1928 | Renamed as the Department of Lands and Fisheries |
| 1 December 1933 | Transfer of Forestry from the Department of Agriculture |
| 1 April 1934 | Renamed as the Department of Lands Transfer of Fisheries to the Department of Agriculture |
| 9 April 1957 | Transfer of Fisheries from the Department of Agriculture |
| 3 May 1965 | Transfer of Fisheries to the Department of Agriculture |
| 8 February 1977 | Transfer of Lands to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries |
| 8 February 1977 | Transfer of Fisheries from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries |
| 9 February 1977 | Renamed as the Department of Fisheries |
| 19 February 1978 | Renamed as the Department of Fisheries and Forestry |
| 18 February 1986 | Transfer of Tourism from the Department of Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism |
| 18 February 1986 | Renamed as the Department of Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry |
| 19 March 1987 | Renamed as the Department of the Marine |
| 31 March 1987 | Transfer of Shipping from the Department of Communications |
| 31 March 1987 | Transfer of Tourism to the Department of Tourism and Transport |
| 31 March 1987 | Transfer of Forestry and Wildlife to the Department of Energy |
| 11 July 1997 | Transfer of Forestry from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry |
| 12 July 1997 | Renamed as the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources |
| 15 July 1997 | Transfer of Mining from the Department of Public Enterprise |
| 1 October 1997 | Transfer of Offshore Exploration from the Department of Public Enterprise |
| 18 June 2002 | Transfer of Broadcasting from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands |
| 18 June 2002 | Transfer of Communications from the Department of Public Enterprise |
| 19 June 2002 | Renamed as the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources |
| 1 January 2004 | Transfer of Forestry to Department of Agriculture and Food |
| 19 October 2007 | Transfer of Fisheries to Department of Agriculture and Food |
| 20 October 2007 | Renamed as the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources |
| 1 January 2008 | Transfer of Ordnance Survey Ireland from the Department of Finance |
| 14 January 2015 | Transfer of Worker Participation from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport |
| 1 January 2016 | Transfer of Ordnance Survey Ireland to the Department of Justice and Equality |
| 22 July 2016 | Transfer of Climate Action and Environment from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government |
| 23 July 2016 | Renamed as the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment |
| 22 September 2020 | Transfer of Broadcasting to the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht |
| 22 September 2020 | Renamed as the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications |