Republic of Ireland

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the Republic of Ireland

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A Minister of State (Irish: Aire Stáit), in Ireland, is a 'junior minister', and is of non-cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland. Unlike other 'cabinet ministers' or 'government ministers' who are appointed by the President of Ireland on the advice of the Taoiseach, with the prior nomination of Dáil Éireann, Ministers of State are appointed by the cabinet, on nomination of the Taoiseach. The title Minister of State is dissimilar and its role is less than that of a Secretary of State in the Government of the United Kingdom.

The post of Minister of State was created by an Act of the Oireachtas in 1977 and commenced in 1978, and under the Act a Minister of State may be delegated a power or duty of the Minister of the Government they support. The position was created to replace the post of Parliamentary Secretary, the junior rank of ministers which had existed from 1924 until 1978. In the original act of 1977 the number of Ministers of State was limited to 10, but in 1980 this was raised to 15, and in 1995 it was raised to 17, and in 2007 it was raised to its present limit of 20.

The Taoiseach Brian Cowen asked all 20 Ministers of State to resign on 21 April 2009. He re-appointed a reduced number of 15 junior ministers the following day, when the Dáil resumed after the Easter recess.^[1][2]

[edit] See also

• Ministers of State of the 30th Dáil
• Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach
• Minister of State at the Department of Finance
• Minister of State at the Department of Defence
• Minister of State (with special responsibility for Children)
• Minister of State (with special responsibility for Labour Affairs)
• Minister of State (with special responsibility for European Affairs)
• Minister of State (with special responsibility for Overseas Development)
• Minister of State (with special responsibility for Food and Horticulture)
• Minister of State (with special responsibility for Equality)
• Minister of State (with special responsibility for Fisheries and Forestry)

[edit] References

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