Department of Transport (Ireland)
The Department of Transport is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for transport policy and overseeing transport services and infrastructure. The department is led by the Minister for Transport.
Departmental team
The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are in Leeson Lane, Dublin. It also has offices in Killarney and Loughrea. The departmental team consists of the following:- Minister for Transport: Darragh O'Brien, TD
- *Minister of State for International and road transport, logistics, rail and ports: Seán Canney, TD
- *Minister of State for Rural transport: Jerry Buttimer, TD
- Secretary General of the Department: Ken Spratt
Affiliated bodies
State Agencies
Among the State Agencies that report to, are appointed by the Minister, or are otherwise affiliated to the department are:- National Transport Authority
- Road Safety Authority
- Transport Infrastructure Ireland
- Irish Aviation Authority
- Irish Coast Guard
- Commission for Aviation Regulation
- Air Accident Investigation Unit
State-sponsored bodies
Among the state-sponsored bodies sponsored by the Minister are:- Córas Iompair Éireann and its subsidiaries.
- Dublin Airport Authority and the shadow Cork authorities.
- Dublin Port Company
History
The Department of Transport and Power was created by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1959 with Erskine H. Childers as its first minister. Thekla Beere was appointed as the Secretary of the Department in that year, making it the first government department to be led by a woman. On 2 January 1984, the Department of Transport was abolished under the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1983.| Date | Effect |
| 27 July 1959 | Establishment of the Department of Transport and Power |
| 27 July 1959 | Transfer of Transport, Fuel and Power from the Department of Industry and Commerce |
| 13 September 1977 | Transfer of Energy to the Department of Industry and Commerce |
| 23 September 1977 | Renamed as the Department of Tourism and Transport |
| 25 January 1980 | Transfer of Tourism to the Department of Industry, Commerce and Tourism |
| 25 January 1980 | Renamed as the Department of Transport |
| 2 January 1984 | Department abolished and functions transferred to the Department of Communications |
The Department of the Public Service was created in 1973. Throughout most of the period of this ministerial title, it was held by a minister who also had another ministerial role. In 1987, at the formation of the 20th government, the substantive functions of the Department of the Public Service were transferred to the Department of Finance, and the Department of the Public Service was renamed as the Department of Tourism and Transport; therefore, the current Department of Transport is formally a successor to the Department of the Public Service established in 1973.