Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Irish: An Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta) is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Department overview
Formed	2 April 1919
Jurisdiction	Government of Ireland
Headquarters	The Custom House, Dublin 53°20′54″N 6°15′12″W
Minister responsible	Darragh O'Brien, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Department executive	Graham Doyle, Secretary General
Website	Official website

Departmental team

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are in The Custom House, Dublin. The departmental team consists of the following:^[1]

• Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Darragh O'Brien, TD
  • Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform: Malcolm Noonan, TD
  • Minister of State for Local Government and Planning: Alan Dillon, TD^[2]
• Secretary General of the Department: Graham Doyle^[3]

Overview

The Custom House, Dublin, is the departmental headquarters.

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are in The Custom House, Dublin 1.

The department is responsible for, among other matters:

• housing
• the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland
• local authorities and related services
• the supervision of elections including the general election and presidential elections, and electronic voting arrangements
• Met Éireann, the weather forecasting service.
• Tailte Éireann, a planned agency for surveying, registering ownership, and valuing land. It would combine the existing functions of Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Property Registration Authority, and the Valuation Office (founded for Griffith's Valuation).^[4][5]

History

In the Ministry of Dáil Éireann in the Irish Republic (1919–22), a Ministry of Local Government was established on 2 April 1919.^[6] In the Irish Free State, there was a Minister for Local Government as part of the first Executive Council of the Irish Free State established in 1922. The Department of Local Government and Public Health was given a statutory basis by the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924. This act provided it with:^[7]

the administration and business generally of public services in connection with local government, public health, relief of the poor, care of the insane (including insane criminals), health insurance, elections to each House of the Oireachtas, elections to local bodies and authorities, registration of voters, maintenance of public roads, and highways, registration of births, deaths and marriages, and vital statistics 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 service specified in the Third Part of the Schedule to this Act, and of which Department the head shall be, and shall be styled, an t-Aire Rialtais Aitiúla agus Sláinte Puiblí or (in English) the Minister for Local Government and Public Health.

It also assigned it with the following agencies:^[8]

• The Local Government Board for Ireland, including appeals under the Old Age Pensions Acts.
• The Inspectors of Lunatic Asylums in Ireland.
• National Health Insurance Commission.
• The Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Ireland.
• Roads Department (formerly Ministry of Transport).
• Clerk of the Crown and Hanaper so far as concerned with Elections.
• General Nursing Council and Central Midwives Board.

Over the years the name and functions of the department have changed several times by means of statutory instruments.

Alteration of name and transfer of functions

Date	Effect
2 June 1924	Establishment of the Department of Local Government and Public Health[9]
22 January 1947	Renamed as the Department of Local Government[10]
18 March 1947	Transfer of Health to the Department of Health[11]
10 October 1947	Transfer of Social Welfare to the Department of Social Welfare[12]
14 June 1954	Allocation of Oifig na Gaeltachta agus na gCeantar gCúng[13]
30 November 1956	Transfer of Oifig na Gaeltachta agus na gCeantar gCúng to Department of the Gaeltacht[14]
17 August 1977	Renamed as the Department of the Environment[15]
22 July 1997	Renamed as the Department of the Environment and Local Government[16]
26 September 1998	Transfer of Vocational Education Superannuation Schemes to the Department of Education and Science[17]
10 July 2002	Transfer of Heritage from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs[18]
10 June 2003	Renamed as the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government[19]
1 May 2011	Transfer of Heritage to the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport[20]
1 May 2011	Transfer of Community from the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs[21]
2 May 2011	Renamed as the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government[22]
22 July 2016	Transfer of Environment to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources[23]
23 July 2016	Renamed as the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government[24]
27 July 2017	Transfer of Community Development to Department of Rural and Community Development[25]
1 August 2017	Renamed as the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government[26]
1 January 2018	Transfer of Ordnance Survey Ireland from the Department of Justice and Equality[27]
1 January 2018	Transfer of the Property Registration Authority from the Department of Justice and Equality[28]
1 January 2018	Transfer of the Valuation Office from the Department of Justice and Equality[29]
1 January 2018	Transfer of Motor Tax to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport[30]
1 June 2018	Transfer of Water Safety to the Department of Rural and Community Development[31]
9 September 2020	Transfer of Heritage from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht[32]
9 September 2020	Transfer of Inland Waterways from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht[33]
30 September 2020	Renamed as the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage[34]

References

1. "List of Ministers and Ministers of State". Government of Ireland. 10 April 2024. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
2. "Who We Are". Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
3. "Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage". Government of Ireland. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
4. "Tailte Éireann – Registration Valuation Surveying". Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
5. Tailte Éireann Act 2022 (No. 50 of 2022). Enacted on 21 December 2022. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 24 February 2023.
6. "NOMINATION OF MINISTRY - Secretary for Local Government – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Vol. F No. 4". Houses of the Oireachtas. 2 April 1919. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
7. Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, s. 1: Establishment of the Departments of State (No. 16 of 1924, s. 1). Enacted on 21 April 1924. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
8. Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, Schedule (No. 16 of 1924, Schedule). Enacted on 21 April 1924. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
9. Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 (Commencement) Order 1924 (S.R.O. No. 804 of 1924). Signed on 30 May 1924. Statutory Rules and Orders of the Executive Council. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
10. Local Government and Public Health (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 1947 (S.R.O. No. 16 of 1947). Signed on 21 January 1947. Statutory Rules and Orders of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
11. Health (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1947 (S.R.O. No. 58 of 1947). Signed on 11 March 1947. Statutory Rules and Orders of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
12. Social Welfare (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 1947 (S.R.O. No. 329 of 1947). Signed on 15 October 1947. Statutory Rules and Orders of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
13. Allocation of Administration (Oifig na Gaeltachta agus na gCeantar gCung) Order 1954 (S.I. No. 125 of 1954). Signed on 14 June 1954. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 25 September 2024.
14. Gaeltacht (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 1956 (S.I. No. 304 of 1956). Signed on 30 November 1956. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 25 September 2024.
15. Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 1977 (S.I. No. 269 of 1977). Signed on 16 August 1977. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
16. Environment (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 1997 (S.I. No. 322 of 1997). Signed on 22 July 1997. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
17. Vocational Education Superannuation Schemes (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1998 (S.I. No. 362 of 1998). Signed on 26 September 1998. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 6 December 2020.
18. Heritage (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2002 (S.I. No. 356 of 2002). Signed on 10 July 2002. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
19. Environment and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 233 of 2003). Signed on 10 June 2003. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
20. Heritage (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 192 of 2011). Signed on 19 April 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
21. Community Affairs (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 196 of 2011). Signed on 19 April 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
22. Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 193 of 2011). Signed on 19 April 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
23. Climate Action and Environment (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 393 of 2016). Signed on 19 July 2016. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
24. Environment, Community and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 394 of 2016). Signed on 19 July 2016. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
25. Community Development (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 357 of 2017). Signed on 26 July 2017. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
26. Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 357 of 2017). Signed on 23 July 2017. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
27. Ordnance Survey Ireland (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 573 of 2017). Signed on 12 December 2017. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 17 September 2020.
28. Property Registration Authority (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 574 of 2017). Signed on 12 December 2017. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 17 September 2020.
29. Valuation Office and Valuation Tribunal (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 575 of 2017). Signed on 12 December 2017. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 17 September 2020.
30. Motor Tax (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 601 of 2017). Signed on 19 December 2017. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 21 September 2020.
31. Community Development (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. No. 165 of 2018). Signed on 15 May 2018. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 16 September 2020.
32. Heritage (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 339 of 2020). Signed on 8 September 2020. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 16 September 2020.
33. Inland Waterways and Waterways Ireland (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 340 of 2020). Signed on 8 September 2020. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 16 September 2020.
34. Housing, Planning and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 408 of 2020). Signed on 29 September 2020. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 24 February 2023.

External links

• Official website
• History of the Department
• Structure of the Department