Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications is a junior ministerial post in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications of the Government of Ireland who may perform functions delegated by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications. A Minister of State does not hold cabinet rank.

There are currently two Ministers of State:[1]

  • James Lawless, TD, with special responsibility for Postal Policy.[2]
  • Ossian Smyth, with special responsibility for Communications and Circular Economy.

List of parliamentary secretaries

Department of Lands and Fisheries 1927–1937

Name Term of Office Party Government
Martin Roddy 21 September 1927 9 March 1932 Cumann na nGaedheal 3rd EC • 4th EC • 5th EC
Seán O'Grady 9 March 1932 29 December 1937 Fianna Fáil 6th EC • 7th EC • 8th EC

Department of Lands 1937–1965

Name Term of Office Party Government
Seán O'Grady 29 December 1937 9 February 1943 Fianna Fáil 1st • 2nd
Eamon Kissane 9 February 1943 1 July 1943 Fianna Fáil 2nd
Jack Lynch 13 June 1951 2 June 1954 Fianna Fáil 6th
Brian Lenihan 11 October 1961 3 November 1964 Fianna Fáil 10th
George Colley 21 November 1964 21 April 1965 Fianna Fáil

Department of Fisheries 1977–1978

Name Term of Office Party Government
Michael Pat Murphy 9 February 1977 5 July 1977 Labour 14th

List of ministers of state

Department of Fisheries and Forestry 1978–1986

Name Term of office Party Responsibilities Government
Tom McEllistrim 23 March 1982 14 December 1982 Fianna Fáil Forestry 18th
Michael D'Arcy 16 December 1982 18 February 1986 Fine Gael Fisheries and Forestry 19th

Department of Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry 1986–1987

Name Term of office Party Responsibilities Government
John Donnellan 13 February 1986 10 March 1987 Fine Gael Fisheries 19th
Michael Moynihan 13 February 1986 10 March 1987 Fine Gael Tourism 19th
Michael Smith 10 March 1987 31 March 1987 Fianna Fáil Forestry 20th
Denis Lyons 10 March 1987 31 March 1987 Fianna Fáil Tourism 20th

Department of the Marine 1987–1997

Name Term of office Party Responsibilities Government
Pat "the Cope" Gallagher 12 March 1987 12 July 1989 Fianna Fáil Marine matters 20th
Michael J. Noonan 19 July 1989 11 February 1992 Fianna Fáil 21st
Pat "the Cope" Gallagher 13 February 1992 12 January 1993 Fianna Fáil 22nd
Gerry O'Sullivan 14 January 1993 5 August 1994 Labour Port Development, Safety and Inland Fisheries 23rd
Eamon Gilmore 20 December 1994 26 June 1997 Democratic Left 24th

Department of the Marine and Natural Resources 1997–2002

Name Term of office Party Responsibilities Government
Hugh Byrne 8 July 1997 6 June 2002 Fianna Fáil Aquaculture and Forestry 25th

Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources 2002–2007

Name Term of office Party Responsibilities Government
John Browne 19 June 2002 29 September 2004 Fianna Fáil Marine 26th
Pat "the Cope" Gallagher 29 September 2004 14 February 2006 Fianna Fáil Marine
John Browne 14 February 2006 14 June 2007 Fianna Fáil Marine

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources 2007–2016

Name Term of office Party Responsibilities Government
Tony Killeen 20 June 2007 7 May 2008 Fianna Fáil Energy 27th[3]
Seán Power 13 May 2008 22 April 2009 Fianna Fáil Information society and Natural resources 28th[4]
Conor Lenihan 22 April 2009 9 March 2011 Fianna Fáil Natural resources
Fergus O'Dowd 10 March 2011 15 July 2014 Fine Gael New ERA 29th[5]
Joe McHugh 15 July 2014 6 May 2016 Fine Gael Natural resources

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment 2016–2020

Name Term of office Party Responsibilities Government
Seán Kyne 19 May 2016 14 June 2017 Fine Gael Natural resources 30th[6]
20 June 2017 16 October 2018 Natural resources and Digital development 31st[7]
Seán Canney 16 October 2018 27 June 2020 Independent Natural resources and Digital development

Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications 2020–present

Name Term of office Party Responsibilities Government
Hildegarde Naughton 27 June 2020 21 December 2022 Fine Gael Postal Policy and Eircodes 32nd
Ossian Smyth 1 July 2020 Incumbent Green Communications and Circular Economy 32nd • 33rd[8] • 34th
Jack Chambers 21 December 2022 26 June 2024 Fianna Fáil Postal Policy
James Lawless 27 June 2024 Incumbent Fianna Fáil Postal Policy 34th[9]

References

  1. ^ "List of Ministers and Ministers of State", Government of Ireland, archived from the original on 7 August 2020, retrieved 4 January 2021
  2. ^ Oireachtas (Allowances) (Members and Holders of Parliamentary and Certain Ministerial Offices) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 613 of 2020). Signed on 8 December 2020. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 29 December 2020.
  3. ^ "Appointment of Members of Government and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (30th Dáil) – Tuesday, 26 June 2007". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Appointment of Members of Government and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (30th Dáil) – Thursday, 8 May 2008". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Appointment of Ministers and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (31st Dáil) – Tuesday, 15 March 2011". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Appointment of Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (32nd Dáil) – Thursday, 19 May 2016". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Appointment of Members of Government and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (32nd Dáil) – Tuesday, 20 June 2017". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 23 December 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  8. ^ "Carroll MacNeill and O'Donnell promoted to junior ministers". RTÉ News. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  9. ^ Hurley, Sandra (27 June 2024). "Dara Calleary named as junior minister attending Cabinet". RTÉ News.